Shade War
by Art n' Music
Summary: Cyclonis is betrayed. A new threat arises, and only one team can save it. But will they find more than just enemies?
1. Enemy of the Enemies

**Chapter 1: Enemy of the Enemies**

In the sky, white clouds stroll around, sunlight streaming on the world of Atmos. Down below, fog covers the volcanic land everyone calls the Wastelands. Some of the rocky outcroppings reach above the dense fog, which many inhabitants establish homes. One part, where nothing but red clouds covers the rocks, a fortress stands on top of everything else, where the ultimate crystal master lives.

Cyclonis, the empress of Cyclonia, is a young, pale girl with deep violet eyes, thick eyeliner around them, jet-black hair that reaches her shoulders. Her clothing consists of black and purple colors, spines growing down and up her neck, the top forming to a hood, and a cloak that trails on the floor. In her usual laboratory, she types on the keys, which control each arm on her machine. But soon, she stops, taking a frustrated breathe. "I need a break."

She heads out of the room and walks down the dark red hallways, her cape billowing behind. Her Talon soldiers salute as she passes, but the empress doesn't pay much heed to them. She has a lot on her mind. Soon, without realizing it, Cyclonis finds herself outside, staring out to the land. Instead of the usual plans of taking over, her mind tries to break through the wall of her past, for the trillionth time in her life. But still nothing. Just the same, vague picture of someone. Familiar, but a stranger. Frustrated, Cyclonis swings an arm, accidently knocking a Talon back a few feet. _Why can't I remember anything! All I remember is my grandmother and this mysterious person in my head!_

All of a sudden, her mind breaks, and she gasps as the person gets a clearer image. The being gets some detail, showing that the person is a guy. On his head is flaming red hair, and masculine. But stops right there. _Okay, so it's a boy. But still, who is he? My father, cousin, young boyfriend?_

She feels something in her core and mind. A sense that Cyclonis only gets when something really, really bad is coming. To her, that's not often.

The teen frantically searches the sky, the sense getting worse each minute.

"Master."

Dark Ace walks up to Cyclonis, curious. He's a veteran Talon, with spiky hair underneath a metal helmet, dark brown eyes, and dark red clothing with metal armor. A metal brace is wrapped around his left arm, which was weakened from a past battle, to help him support. "Is there something wrong?"

The empress still continues seeks for the uneasiness, not answering his question. Later, Cyclonis says, "I don't know."

The veteran raises an eyebrow, then looks up to the sky as well. "Something in the sky?"

"That's the question. Maybe I'm just a little edgy, today."

Suddenly, everything grows eerie silent, confusing everyone in Cyclonia. Dark Ace grips the handle of his sword, feeling the tension building. Cyclonis looks straight up, and all the color in her skin she had left drains away.

Above the whole terra, the sky part as dark clouds creates a hole, showing nothing but shadow. The clouds spread across the land until only the lights from Cyclonia keep them from being blind. Ravess and Snipe, Commanders of Talons, run up to their empress, worry on their faces. Ravess is a tall woman with magenta spiky hair, yellow eyes, and a stern face. Snipe, Ravess' younger brother, is a tall brute with shadow-black hair, black eyes, and not too bright.

"Master, what's happening?" the sharpshooter asked.

"Why the sky turns black?" asked Snipe stupidly.

The empress turns to them and orders, "I want you and your squadron ready for battle. Now!"

They salute and run back inside. Cyclonis looks back and sees dark beings falling down the hole, some having wings, others on skimmer-like vehicles. The sirens yell and everyone rushes to their positions. Soon, the air is full of Talon skimmers, all weapons aimed at the newcomers. Ravess, at the front of the first wave, nocks an arrow, aim at the closest shadowman. Snipe, already edgy about the fight, circles in the back, readying the second wave. Anxiety grows to a breaking point, when the shadows attack. Before the Talons know what hit them, the first wave is quickly defeated. Cyclonis' eyes widen as she watches, not how fast her army was destroyed, but how they were.

The shadows shot through the air like lightning, quickly knocking the spears down. The Talons widen their eyes, when the shadows stretched and bit their neck, fangs growing. In a second, their skin shrivels until there's nothing but bone and grey skin, shocked faces permanently on their faces. Ravess is the only one surviving, but is soon surrounded. "Oh, this isn't good."

Five shadow beings shoot from all around, but the sharpshooter jumps off her ride and knocks a being off his. She flies the black skimmer away, and Cyclonis yells, "Second wave, attack!"

Snipe laughs hysterically and his army charges. This wave lasts longer than the first, but is rapidly losing men. "This isn't good." The empress said. "Dark Ace, I need you to-" her sentence is cut short when someone punches her in the air. After crashing on the metallic wall, she looks up, despite the pain, and sees Dark Ace smirking. "Sorry, Cyclonis, but now it's time for the true leaders to take charge."

"What…what do you mean?"

"Ha ha. You really think I was at your every command, Cyclonis?"

"Tell me what is happening right now, Dark Ace!"

"Are you that blind? I've been planning this assault ever since the great battle. You see, when I found you, I knew you are the perfect key to conquer the Atmos. So I planted the story that you were the descendant of the great leaders of Cyclonia. I couldn't believe how easily fooled you were. And I thought Snipe was stupid."

"Hey!"

"You mean, all this time, I was lied?" she gasped, sneaking a crystal behind her back.

"Yes, silly girl. But now, my plan comes to action. Your Cyclonia reign comes to an end, and the age of Shaders begins, _Master._" The veteran raises his red glowing sword, but Cyclonis throws her stone, which turns out to be a cloud crystal. It explodes, sending a dense, red fog, and she runs back inside the castle. Dark Ace walks through the cloud just in time to see the door close. "You really think you can escape me? Your time is done."

Cyclonis runs through the many hallways, not believing what she heard. _ I was never a descendant of Cyclonia? How can this be? _Her mind cracks again, and a different image appears. A woman stands out, her blonde hair waving in invisible wind, bright violet eyes showing kindness upon imaginary. Cyclonis stops running, realizing who it is. "Mom."

A sword digs into the wall beside her head, snapping her back to reality. She gasps, and continues running toward the hangars. Dark Ace chuckles, saying, "Might just quit now, Cyclonis. You won't last long here!"

"We'll see about that." She stops, opens a door, and grabs her staff. The used-to-be empress dashes again, and turns toward a door. After she enters, the teen finds herself in the hangar, but with company. Shadowmen surround the hangar, their red eyes staring at her. Cyclonis aims her staff at them, wondering which one is the leader. A chuckle sounds, and the shadows split to let Dark Ace in. "I told you. Might just quit now. If you surrender calmly, I'll let you live."

"I'm not going down without a fight." she said, throwing her cape to reveal her slim figure. Cyclonis activates her staff, her crystal glowing. "Come and get some." she whispered, a second voice behind her usual.

Dark Ace's smirk vanishes, and activates his sword. "Suit yourself."

The shadows back up, creating space for the fighters. They get in a ready position, walking in a circle. Minutes pass until someone makes the first move. Dark Ace runs and swings forward, but the teen blocks and shoots a beam. The purple ray pushes the veteran back, but Dark Ace quickly shakes it off and strikes again. This time, all Cyclonis could do is block. The wall rapidly draws near, until the empress' back is against it. Dark Ace feints to the right, then strikes above, sending the staff flying. He kicks the teen, and she grunts on impact of the metal. She looks up to see a sword pointed at her. "Any last words, Cyclonis?" Dark Ace asked.

"I might fall, but there's still Ravess and Snipe, and when they work together, nothing can stop them." The teen said, a large inferno sparking in her eyes. The veteran chuckles. "Those two idiots? By now, they would have already fallen by my shader army. You have no one for help. Don't worry; I'll give you a quick death. But first, a little fun." He grabs Cyclonis by the neck and throws her into a row of skimmers, knocking like dominoes. The empress slowly gets up, but is punched into a shack. Cyclonis spots a pipe, so she grabs it and throws the metal part at the double traitor. Dark Ace slices it in half and swipes, slashing across her once pretty face. Blood spreads across her face, but she ignores it. Instead, the teen swings her legs, tripping the veteran. Cyclonis makes a dash for the exit, but something flies in the air and strikes across her back. She gasps as shocking pain spreads across her body, and she leans on the wall for support. The teen turns her head, but is kicked into a large pipe. A piece of it falls, and crashes on Cyclonis's leg. She shrieks as screaming pain spreads all up her leg. _I've never felt such pain before. Does this ever end?_

Someone grabs her neck and lifts her up, her legs dangling. For the first time, fear is seen in her eyes, as the inevitable stares at her. He grins and throws her in the air, then bats her with the red sword, slashing a cut on her arm. Cyclonis lands at the edge of the launch pad, and tries to get up, but collapses, too weak to move. Dark Ace walks up to her, the army behind him, and aims his sword at her head. "I would let you live until the Storm Hawks come, so they can see your demise, but I have a schedule to keep. So goodbye. To everything."

Raising his sword, he prepares to make the fatal strike, when he hears a clinking noise. Dark Ace turns around and spots a spherical machine amongst the feet of shadows. His eyes widen as he recognizes the crystals sticking out of the machine. He jumps away just as the bomb detonates, spreading white inferno and light everywhere. The veteran raises his head and sees a gaping hole in his army, the shadows disintegrated. "How-"

The shadowmen immediately react and start looking around, only to find fifty more shadows destroyed. Dark Ace snarls and quickly gets up, swinging his sword again at the black head, only to be blocked by a white blade. "Huh?"

He follows the glowing blade to find a hand, an arm, then a body. On top is a head with a mask covering his eyes. What surprises Dark Ace is the boy looks young. "No you don't."

The veteran growls and was about to attack when the boy kicks him halfway in the hangar. Cyclonis watches in amazement, and pants, "Who are…you?" just before fainting.

"Right now, your guardian angel." He ducks as a red flash flies over his head, and gives a kick in the stomach. Dark Ace backs up and says, "What's the point, kid? Without a ride, you're stuck here. So give up."

"If I don't have a ride, then how would you explain how I got into Cyclonia in the first place?"

"Touché. But you'll still have to get past my army." Shadows appear behind the veteran, and surrounding the two teens.

Dark Ace laughs and says, "This is the part where you quake in your boots."

Instead of quaking, the boy smiles, showing a gold tooth. "I don't quake easily, Dark Ace. As a matter of fact, I was expecting the surrounding move."

The veteran raises in eyebrow. The teen reaches for his wrist and presses a button, and a laser blasts several shadowmen to oblivion. A skimmer parks at the edge, and the teen carries Cyclonis and jumps on the bike. "So long, Dark Ace."

After making sure Cyclonis is safely on his lap, the teen swerves around and shoots away. Dark Ace growls and slices a shadow apart, and yells, "After them!"

Shadows fly after the escapee, quickly surrounding the teen. "Oh. It looks like I'm surrounded." he said sarcastically. The teen grins and takes out a red-orange rock from a secret container. He puts it in the crystal slot, and the engine screams as new fuel is inserted. The skimmer shoots through the air, burning some shadows.

Dark Ace watches the two teens fly out of Cyclonia, anger boiling inside. "You may have escaped, Cyclonis, but your doom is certain. And your little bodyguard, too."

He turns to a shadow, wearing a grey cape around his neck, and says, "Cyclonia belongs to you now. Rule it however you want, but you're still under my command, got it?"

"Yes master." It hissed. The leader walks back inside, followed by its men and Dark Ace smirks. "Master. I could get used to that."


	2. Newcomers in the Condor

**Chapter 2: Newcomers in the Condor**

In the skies of Atmos, a large, beaten up ship flies across tan clouds. The driver, a tall, green skin man looks around, his black, greasy hair flopping over his black eyes, two earrings on his left ear. Behind him, three fifteen year old teens sit on a couch, one working on the table, all melting from boredom. One is a blonde man with blue eyes, wearing yellow and blue clothing, reading the same line over and over again in a book, not getting any farther.

The next one is a bulky brute with gray-green hair and grey eyes. His nose is a horn, and clothing of brown and green. The brute stares at a pile of bubbly fruit objects, not feeling hungry.

The last one is a muscular man with bright red hair, green eyes, and red and blue suit. His eyes droop as he watches his friend work on a white crystal on the table. The teenage girl has a slim body with dark skin, startling blue hair sticking up in spikes with a bandana around it, orange and blue outfit, and hazel eyes. Piper looks into a microscope, the white crystal greatly grown in size. The teen uselessly turns it around with tweezers, then breaks. "I can't take it anymore!"

Everyone reacts to her outburst, and a short, blue-furred animal jumps, wearing a brown and blue suit with a pack, and black eyes, overlarge ears flopping down his head. It falls on the redhead's shoulders, Aerrows. "Piper, calm down."

"Calm down? I can't calm down! I've been looking at this stupid hunk of rock for hours, with no lead on what it does!"

Aerrow gets up and walks to her. "Maybe all you need is some sleep."

"Yeah. I think I need some, too." She walks out of the room and heads to her room, rubbing her head.

"You know if you ask me, I think she's a victim of…Sniferian Napvirus." Stork said, his eye twitching.

"No, I think she's just tired. Boredom can do that to a person."

"Then how about we all get some sleep?" Finn said. "Because we're all pretty bored. Since Cyclonia's being quiet, there's not much to do around here."

Junko suggests, "How about we play a game of keep away?"

"For the millionth time today? No thanks." Aerrow said. "Wish Dark Ace would just pop up for a sneak attack."

"Why? So you can finally defeat him?" Finn guessed.

"No. So I can let out some frustration."

"I don't care if master Cyclonis comes and attacks us. Even if it means getting destroyed, at least there would be action happening." Finn said.

Suddenly, the alarm blares, sending red light everywhere. Everyone gets on high alert as Piper runs in. "Guys, what's going on?"

"I think some Cyclonians found us." The leader said.

"Finally!" yelled Finn. Stork grabs the telescope and looks around, but doesn't see anything. "Umm, sorry to be a party pooper, but there's nothing out there."

"What! Oh, come on!"

Aerrow says, "Sorry guys. False alarm."

"Ah man. I was really hoping for a battle." Piper said.

"Well, it's lunch time." Junko walks to the kitchen, and everyone groans.

Unnoticed by any of the Storm Hawks, a white and black skimmer with dark red wings rematerializes and parks on the runway of the Condor. A boy gets off and picks up a teen girl from the seat, and walks to the doors. The boy looks around, smiling. "So this is the Condor. Just as I suspected it to be."

After putting the unconscious Cyclonis down, he takes out a dark green crystal and places it on the control panel. The rock starts glowing, and soon the doors open. The boy picks up the empress and walks inside, the doors closing behind. He finds the Storm Hawks' skimmers in the hangar, and calls, "Hello? Anyone here?"

No answer. _Where are the Storm Hawks? Oh yeah, they're in the bridge._

The teen continues to walk through the hallways, looking for the infirmary. He enters another hall just as Aerrow exits the bridge. He stops, feeling something different. The leader looks around the hall, and turns to bump into Piper. "Whoa. You might want to watch where you're going."

"Sorry." He continues looking around, and starts making Piper unnerved. "Aerrow, is there something wrong?"

"I'm starting to think that false alarm wasn't so false. I think there's someone here."

"A stowaway?"

"I don't know. You just get some sleep and I'll look around. Just in case."

"How about we both search? That way, we can finish it faster."

Smiling, Aerrow says, "Okay. You take the west side, I'll take the east."

She nods and walks to the other side of the Condor. The redhead heads down his hallway, checking each room for anything suspicious.

The masked teen walks into the medical wing and places Cyclonis on the bed. He searches the cabinets for the bandages just as Aerrow enters. He freezes on the spot, eyes wide at the sight of Cyclonis. _How did she get here?_

The leader searches the room and finds the masked boy, who is looking for something. He quietly grabs his blade and powers it, then slowly walks behind the boy. Aerrow raises it and was about to strike when the boy says, "I know your there, Aerrow."

He freezes again, astonished. "H-how did you-"

"Let's just say, it's a sixth sense." He turns around, showing his bright purple eyes under the mask. The boy walks past Aerrow, a roll of bandage in his hands. The leader watches him rip a sleeve off of Cyclonis's suit, and wraps a bloodied gash. "What are you doing?"

"Fixing a gash on Cyclonis's arm."

"Okay. Are you crazy! This is Cyclonis, empress of Cyclonia. Wanting to take over Atmos!"

"Yeah, so?"

Aerrow closes his mouth, unsure of what to say. "You're not a Cyclonian, are you?"

"Do I look like a Cyclonian?"

The leader looks him over, seeing his symbol. A black falcon, red lines running down the wings. "Uhh, nice symbol."

The boy finishes bandaging the arm, and reaches into a sack around his waist. He takes out a bright green crystal and hover it over the cut on Cyclonis's face. The rock glows, as well as the cut, and it soon vanishes, as well as the dried blood. Aerrow's mouth drops at the sight. "What kind of crystal is that?"

The boy chuckles. "You're a barrel of questions, aren't you?"

"Well, when a complete stranger just shows up with our enemy brings up millions of questions in a person's head." He said matter-of-factly.

"Let's start from the beginning." The boy puts the stone back in his sack and raises a hand. "I'm Rike."

The redhead shakes his hand and says, "I'm Aerrow, but you already know that, apparently. So, what…clan are you?"

Rike takes off his mask, showing more of the purple eyes. Aerrow raises an eyebrow, and the teen says, "I'm a human like you."

"Then, what's with your eyes? There are not many men with purple eyes."

"Ah, I didn't start out with violet eyes. They appeared when my…talent surfaced."

"What talent would that be?"

"That's a story for another time. Do you have a brace?"

"What?"

Rike touches the empress's leg, and she cringes. "She's got a broken leg."

"Uhh…" he tries to remember if he does, when Piper comes in. "Aerrow, I checked the west side of the Condor and didn't-" She stops midsentence at the sight of Cyclonis. The crystal specialist points at the teen, stuttering. "I-I-is that…Cyclonis?"

"Yes it is."

"But, what is **she **doing here?"

Rike says, "She's here because this is the closest place with an infirmary."

Piper spots the boy and asks, "Who are you?"

"Rike. A crystal specialist and one-team explorer. I'm gonna take a guess that your Piper, also a crystal specialist, and navigator for the Storm Hawks, and smart."

"Uh, how do you know that?"

"I have my ways." he said, a spark in his eyes. "Do you mind patching Cyclonis's back?"

"Uh, sure?"

Rike tosses the roll of bandage to her, who asks, "Are your eyes-"

"Yes. They are." Aerrow said.

"Okay. Then could you explain to me why Cyclonis is on our ship?" Piper asked sourly, covering the wound on the empress' back. "Jeez, what did she get into?" she whispered.

The leader says, "I would like to know that myself."

Rike grins and the two Storm Hawks spots a gold tooth. "That's something Cyclonis will tell you. Now, does anyone have a leg brace?"

Piper walks to a closet and takes out a metal mechanism, throwing it to the teen. He grabs it one handed and starts attaching it to the broken leg, also adding medicine and bandaging the leg. When he's done, Rike asks, "So, got any food on this rustbucket?"

"Uh, not much edible in the fridge."

"Then I guess I'll need to make it edible." He walks out of the room, and Aerrow says, "Don't you need to know where the bridge is?"

"Already know."

The two stay in the infirmary, loss for words.

"That kid's more mysterious than Cyclonis." the leader stated. They walk out of the room, Aerrow looking back when he heard a groan. Cyclonis turns on the bed, facing the doorway. She starts breathing softly, and, for a second, Aerrow saw someone else besides the evil empress. He shakes his head, clearing it, and walks after Piper.

Back in the bridge, Finn looks up from his book, finding something missing. "Hey, where are Aerrow and Piper?"

His question is answered when they enter the bridge, along with someone new. He walks to the fridge and checks inside, Aerrow talking to him. "What is it going to take for you to tell us what happened?"

"Nothing." The boy said, taking out a plate of tentacles.

The sharpshooter asks, "Dude, you're not seriously gonna eat that, are you?"

"Of course not, Finn." He said, taking out a blue-purple stone. The sharpshooter was going to ask how he knew his name when Piper gasps. "Is that a Morph Crystal?"

"See for yourself." The teen touches a tentacle with the stone, and both glow a blue color. The shape move around, forming something different, and the light fades. In the tentacles' place is a plate of a hamburger. Everyone gapes at the transformation as the teen eats his lunch, and the leader once again asks, "Seriously, who are you?"

"I'm Rike, remember?"

"Rike? I've never heard that name before." Junko asked.

"Okay, Rike, what are you doing on our ship?" Finn asked.

"Because I needed an infirmary and yours was the nearest."

"But you look fine."

"Not me. Someone else needed it."

Before the blonde could ask who, Aerrow says, "Cyclonis needed it."

The three Storm Hawks drop their jaws, not believing him. "Is this some kind of a joke?" Stork asked.

"I wish it was."

The pilot says, "Ooh, this is bad."

"But, if he brought Cyclonis, then that would mean you're a Cyclonian!" Finn yelled, getting close to Rike's face. He jumps back at the sight of his eyes, and says, "Dude, your eyes are purple."

"Thanks for noticing."

"Rike, is there anything you can tell us?"

Before the teen could say another word, the sirens sound again. Stork looks inside the telescope, and sees five dots flying toward them. "Yep. We have company."

"Last one to their skimmer will get the lame Cyclonians!" Finn called before rushing to the hangar.

"Wait, you don't know who you're-!" the doors close before Rike could finish his statement. "-facing against."

The merb says, "Why don't you go help them, and I'll watch Cyclonis. No matter how much that pains me."

"Don't worry. This'll be short, Stork."

"Wait, how do you know my name?" he tried to ask, but Rike runs after the Storm Hawks.

In the hangar, Finn hops on his bike and runs down the runway, followed by Junko, Piper, and Aerrow with Radarr. As they get closer, the teens notice something different. Instead of the red paintjob on the skimmers, like regular Cyclonian bikes, these were shadow-black that seems to suck light, making itself look surreal.

"Uh, does anyone else see something weird about those Cyclonians?" Finn asked.

The riders, instead of the red clothing, is all black, almost blending into the ride, but a more solid figure.

"It must be some new armor Cyclonis made. You know, before…whatever happened to her." the specialist guessed.

"Well, whatever they're wearing, they are still chicken." Aerrow said, flying toward the first.

The dark beings separate, and each Storm Hawk goes after each one. Finn flies after two of the beings, loading his crossbow. "Chika-cha!" He fires, his aim true. The arrow cuts through the air, striking the back of one of the skimmers. The sharpshooter starts to celebrate, but it soon vanishes when he spots the skimmer he just hit still flying. "That can't be right."

The two beings turn around and fire their rays. Both beams hit Finn's skimmer, and he closes his eyes. When the blonde opens them, the front half of his ride falls off. "Ahh, not again!"

Finn falls through the air, screaming his head off. Before he breaks through the cloud, the blonde crashes onto a seat, and Rike says, "Need a ride?"

"Yeah, sure."

The boy specialist flies to the battle, where the others aren't doing so well with the new beings.

Junko floats behind his dark being, and fires two of his little birdie missiles. They zoom through the air, locked on the target. The shadow looks back at the missiles, then turns and fires two bolts. They each hit a missile, and explode. The sudden light temporarily blinds the engineer, and when he finally gets his sight, the shadow is on his ride. "Uh, hi."

The being growls, grabbing Junko's shoulder and lifts him up, fangs growing.

"Uh, hey, let's not get all bitey. I'm sure we can work out some agreement."

"Sorry, wallop, but I'm hungry." The shadow hissed.

"That doesn't sound good."

Before the shadowman could move his fangs closer, it suddenly vanishes, making Junko fall back on his ride. He looks around and spots a bright white and black skimmer, Rike and Finn riding it. He flies past the wallop and heads toward the other shadows, and Junko finds the sharpshooter on his wing. He looks around, and says, "How'd I get here?"

Piper dodges another beam while searching for a right crystal. "C'mon, where is it? Ah ha!" She takes out a frost crystal and attaches it to her staff. The specialist aims her weapon at the shadow behind her and fires. The cold ray hits the shadow's skimmer, and the whole ride and rider freezes. As soon as it chills, the shadow quickly thaws and fires his rays. Piper gasps and dodges more beams, yelling, "Guys, I could use some help here!"

"Busy with my own!" called back Aerrow.

A black beam strikes a propeller, and the ride starts shaking. Piper slowly gets it in control, but another beam stops the propellers completely. She starts falling, but Rike floats above her and takes out a plant-green crystal. It glows, and the propellers straighten themselves out. He flies next to the specialist, smirking.

"You and I have a lot to talk about." Piper said.

"About my crystals? Okay." He flies off to the last three shadows, which are chasing the Storm Hawks' leader. He performs agile moves around the rays, and jumps on his skimmer's wings. "Radarr, get me in close."

Radarr chatters and hops on the rider's seat, driving a u-turn. Aerrow concentrates, and jumps into the air, glowing blue. Energy forms around him, forming the Lightning Claw, his signature move. The redhead unleashes the Claw, striking all three shadowmen. He falls back on his skimmer, a grin on his face. It vanishes when he finds the enemy unscathed. "What kind of Cyclonian are they?"

"They're not Cyclonian, Aerrow."

He turns and spots Rike floating next to him. "They're not?"

"Nope. Leave them to me." He charges the three enemies, astonishing Aerrow and Radarr. "Is he crazy?"

The shadows' seem to think so. They try to prepare for the fight, but Rike got to them first. He takes out his glowing white blade and jumps off his bike, landing in front of a shadow. The specialist swings at the enemy, and it falls off its bike, disappearing. Rike springs to another skimmer, where a dark being is ready to fight. The two clash each other, and Aerrow notices Rike seems to expect the being's move. One shadowman sneaks behind the swordsman, and Aerrow was about to warn him when Rike's skimmer flies in and shoots the being down.

"Whoa. Kid's got autopilot."

Rike kicks the shadow, and destroys the skimmer before jumping back on his ride. He floats to Aerrow, grinning. "That was fun."

"Rike, you seem to know those creatures' moves."

"Actually, that was my second time fighting those guys."

"And yet, you battle like you've fought them your whole life."

"No. You wanna race to the Condor?"

The leader grins. "You're on."

Rike speeds to the ship, Aerrow slowly catching up. They park in the hangar and head to the bridge where Stork stands and watches. The two find Piper, Junko, and Finn waiting for them. Finn walks to Rike and says, "How can you do that? From what I could tell, you're like all of us combined. You know crystals, having more than Piper, fight like ten Aerrow's, your bike is like me, and your strength is like Junko's. All you're missing is the superstitious of Stork. So I ask again, who are you?"

All Rike does is grin mysteriously. The sharpshooter sighs, "I give up." and walks back to the couch. Aerrow spots everyone's suspicions, and says, "Rike will tell us when he's ready. Right now, we have to figure out what those…things were."

"Hmm. I think I've read something about…dark beings. Give me a minute." Stork walks to his room, and Rike says, "I'd be surprised if he does have something about those guys. Then again, I'm not easily surprised."

Piper says, "So, Rike, I was wondering if I can see your collection of crystals."

"Sure." He tosses his satchel to Piper, who giggly checks the different rocks inside.

Aerrow asks, "Rike, you don't mind staying around for a bit, do you?"

"Well, I have to stay because of Cyclonis. She's in more danger than you realize, and I'm like her guardian."

"What danger?"

Rike gives him another mystifying smirk.


	3. Fun Day Turned Around

**Chapter 3: Fun Day Turned Around**

_Swirls move in a circle above, below, and around her. Soon, it clears to reveal Dark Ace, smirking. "You can't hide forever, girl." He swings his sword, and red light explodes around, blinding the girl. In the light is a blonde woman, Cyclonis's mother, fighting against black beings with a staff. "You will _not _get your claws on my children so long as I live."_

_Blackness fades in, and a boy appears, fuzzy. His red hair stick out of the black, and he says, "Be careful, Cyclonis. Many dangers await you, which shall test everything you got. But I know you'll make it."_

Cyclonis snaps awake and old aches shoot through her body. She gasps, arching her back upward. The pain diminishes, and the empress slowly lies back down. The stinging returns, but not as great as before. Sighing, the teen looks around, finding herself not in Cyclonia. "Where am I?"

She moves her legs to the edge of the bed, noticing the brace on her leg and bandaged arm, and pushes herself to her feet. Immediately, Cyclonis falls on the ground. She growls and says, "Damn legs."

The teen uses the wall to back to her feet and slowly walks to the door. After opening it, she tries walking on her own again. Cyclonis stumbles on her bad leg, but soon gets used to it, limping down the hallway. _This place looks familiar, but I can't quite put my finger on it. _She checks one door and finds that it's the bathroom. Disgusted, Cyclonis continues walking through the hall, trying to find out what ship she's on, figuring out the halls belongs on ships.

The teen opens another door and stops in her tracks. She found herself on the bridge, where Aerrow and the whole squadron are hanging out. Her heart starts beating a thousand times a second, and she stumbles back into the hallway, making a small ruckus with her braced leg. Everyone looks at the open door, and Aerrow asks, "Did anyone else here that?"

"Uhh, I think so." Finn said. The leader heads to the doors and looks around, but doesn't find anything. He continues searching the ship, and Finn looks over to Rike, and finds his usual smirk. "I hate it when you do that."

The redhead searches the hallways, looking for anything that could make a noise. He passes a closet, where Cyclonis is hiding. She thinks, _I'm in the Condor! I don't believe it. How the heck did I- _she remembers what had happened earlier. Someone stopped Dark Ace from slicing her head open before she fainted. The master did feel being lifted, but that's it. _It was probably that kid that saved me, but why would he take me to the Condor?_

She hears footsteps outside, and gasps as a shadow passes the floor. Cyclonis tries to move herself deeper in the closet as the handle jiggles. The teen closes her eyes as the door open, waiting for the surprise of the Storm Hawks.

"What are you doing hiding in a closet?"

Confused, Cyclonis opens her eyes and sees Aerrow. His eyes, instead of shock and anger, show confusion and worry, startling the master. "That's probably not good for your back and leg."

"Uhh…"

"C'mon, you're probably hungry." He helps the once-empress up and walks her back to the bridge. "How're you feeling?"

"A little sore all over."

"So, you mind telling me how you're like this?"

Cyclonis's mind flashes to the shadow beings and Dark Ace. She bares her teeth in anger at the remembrance of him, and Aerrow asks, "Is there something wrong?"

"No. Nothing at all." She growled.

The leader wasn't so sure. They enter the bridge, and Cyclonis sees only Stork and Piper and a new person now. The specialist turns her head and spots the two. "Hey Cyclonis."

"Nice to see you awake. Exactly on time, too." the stranger said.

The master looks at all of them, confused, and asks, "What's going on here?"

"Nothing's going on." Piper answered. "You hungry? We stocked the fridge with edible food."

"Uh…maybe a little." she said, her stomach growling. Piper walks into the kitchen as Aerrow leads the black-haired teen to the couch. Stork asks, "Who are you talking to?" before turning around. He sees Cyclonis and screams, plastering himself on the controls. The driver clutches his heart, taking deep breaths while saying, "Don't mind me. I'm just trying to bring my heartbeat down."

"Hey, Cyclonis."

She turns to Piper, who came out with waffles on a plate in her hand. "How'd you get beat up so badly?"

Her eyes fall and she turns away. Piper frowns and says, "Uh, if it's too personal, we don't mind you not telling us. Waffles?"

Before the master speaks, someone on the intercom calls, "Hello? Storm Hawks?"

The redhead walks to it and speaks, "Starling, is that you?"

"Who else, Aerrow?"

Piper quickly says, "Starling, what's the matter? Another attack by the Cy-" she looks at Cyclonis, seeing her glum face. "Uh, some enemy of ours?"

"No. I just called to invite you all to Terra Neon."

"Did I just here Terra Neon?"

Everyone looks back and sees Finn running in, Junko behind him. The sharpshooter hops over the couch and pushes Aerrow out of the way. "Did you just say Terra Neon?"

"Yes. Considering Cyclonia is being quiet, I thought you all would want something fun to do."

"We're in, Starling!"

"Great. I'll meet you all in the Condor soon."

Aerrow frowns and looks at Cyclonis, who's dodging his eyes. "Uh, how about we just meet at Terra Neon, Starling?"

"Uh, okay." she said unsurely. "What's the matter with the Condor?"

"Uh, we're just doing some…cleaning. Our last battle really messed up the Condor, and we never got to picking up the mess." the leader lied.

"Okay, then. I'll meet you in Terra Neon." The line cuts off, and Finn asked, "Why'd you say to meet her at Terra Neon? The Condor is perfectly fine."

Aerrow nods his head at Cyclonis, who's eating her breakfast. "Well, what's wrong if she meets Cyclo-ohhh."

"Yes. If Starling spots the empress of Cyclonia, she'll jump to conclusions and attack."

"But I'm not empress. Not anymore." Cyclonis sighed.

"What?" Piper asked.

The pale teen turns to Rike and says, "I thought you already told them."

"Hey, it's your story. Not mine."

Cyclonis sighs and pushes the waffles away, not feeling hungry. "I still can't believe it happened."

"What happened?" asked Junko.

"Well, back in Cyclonia, a black hole appeared in the skies, and a whole army of these…shadow beings fall out."

"Wait, did these beings look like living shadows?" Aerrow guessed.

"Yes. How'd you know?"

"Because we faced against five yesterday, and they were pretty much impossible to defeat. That is, until this kid here faced them single-handily." said Finn, pointing to Satom.

Cyclonis adds, "I also saw him defeat Dark Ace without breaking a sweat, which I'm still not sure I saw right."

"You fought against the Dark Ace?" Aerrow asked in disbelief.

"Yeah, so?"

"Okay, apparently, this kid is a lot more than what he seems." Piper states. "Please continue, Cyclonis. Didn't you send, I don't know, Ravess or Snipe or Dark Ace after them?"

"I sent everyone after those things. They all fell. Then, Dark Ace…betrayed me." she whispered the end, more anger boiling.

Everyone's jaws fall. "Dark Ace really betrayed you?" Piper asks, hands over her mouth.

The master continues to look on the floor, but nods her head. "And that's not the worst part. He was the one that led the shadow army. I never had the chance. Dark Ace caught up to me and left me too weak to move on. He was about to finish me off when the boy stopped him. I can't remember much else after I fainted."

Everyone stays quiet when she's done. Even Rike lost his smirk.

"But, how are you not empress of Cyclonia anymore? Even if the Dark Ace defeated you, and left you battered, you would still be in control of Cyclonia." Aerrow reasoned.

"I can't be in control if there's no Cyclonia to rule."

"Wait, wait, wait." stopped Finn. "You're saying that Cyclonia is gone?"

Cyclonis's voice starts cracking as she continues to speak, "The whole terra. And Dark Ace also told me I was never queen. It was all a lie." Tears start falling down her face as she remembers the devastating news. The navigator sits next to Cyclonis and tries to calm her.

"Wow. I actually feel sorry for her." The redhead whispers to Finn.

"I know, dude. Talk about major blow in your life."

Piper asks, "Is there anything we can do for you?"

"Not unless you can reverse time. All my crystals were still in Cyclonia, as well as my staff."

The specialist thinks of some way to help Cyclonis, and says, moving the waffles back, "Why don't you eat something? It'll help." She gets up and walks to Aerrow. "What should we do? All our friends are her enemies, so getting them to meet would probably get her killed."

"Well, what can we do? We can't just hide her here. Sooner or later, Starling or someone else will find her."

"So what are you saying?"

"I guess we could…let her live with us for a while."

Piper was about to disagree, but closes her mouth.

"We'll just teach her the ropes and hope our friends don't slice her in half."

"Are you sure that's smart?"

"It's the only thing I can think of right now. And it feels like the right thing to do." Aerrow reasoned.

Piper sighs, then says, "Okay. So what are we going to do about weapons?"

"Well, a staff seems to work for Cyclonis, so I guess we'll just stop by Atmosia for the weapons shop. And to restock the ship."

"After Terra Neon, right?"

"Yes. And I may have a plan."

* * *

The Condor flies through the night, heading to the bright terra. Multicolor lights flashes in the dark, and carnival noise blasts out in breaking glass volume. Finn and Junko get jittery the closer they get to Terra Neon, but Stork seems to be having fun making them wait, because he's taking his time. As soon as he parks, the two friends, followed quickly by Radarr, fly out of the ship and into the confusion of rides, food, and games. Aerrow, Piper, Satom, Stork, and newly-clothed Cyclonis, now used to the metal brace, walk out, looking around.

"Hopefully, there isn't another 'Want to be a Star' trick here." says Piper.

Aerrow replies, "By the looks of all the people here, I think everything's normal. Now, where's Starling?"

Cyclonis looks around through the black mask, covering the top of her face. "Are you sure this will work?" she asks Aerrow.

"I'm sure. Your face is too recognizable, but this mask should cover that up."

"But, won't people think something's suspicious if I'm wearing a mask?"

"Don't worry. Some people in Terra Neon wear masks all the time. Especially in Mardi Gras."

To prove his point, two girls walk by, one wearing a bandana covering her mouth and nose, the other wearing a face mask. "See?" indicates the leader. "The only small problem is Starling might figure you out, but she's not that curious."

"Aerrow!"

Everyone turns and sees a purple-haired woman walking to them. She has jungle-green eyes, a purple and orange suit and small shorts, crystal nunchucks hanging on her waist. The Storm Hawks grin and walk up to her, Piper hugging the friend. "Hey, Starling. How's life?" she asked.

"Pretty well. I'm glad you're all here. Uh, where are Finn and Junko?"

Rike answers, "They already rushed into the fair, Starling."

She looks over at him and gasps, then squeezes him. "Rike! I'm so glad you're alive!"

Everyone is taken aback by the motion while the specialist tries to pry Starling off. "Okay, I get it. Now let go before I pass out."

The Interceptor complies, and looks over to the Storm Hawks, all open-mouth. "What?" she chuckles. "Didn't Rike tell you we're related?"

"No. He actually didn't tell us much." Aerrow says.

"Well, he always did have a knack for keeping people in suspense. And never told me he was with the Storm Hawks, or even still alive."

"Heh-hey, sis. I was busy in the last ten years."

"Doing what?"

The specialist gives Starling his smirk, and she says, "Forget it." The sky night finally spots Cyclonis, who looks away. "Who's your friend?"

"Oh, this is Cy-um… -line. Cyline."

"Nice to meet you, Cycline." she greets, shaking Cyclonis's hand.

"Nice to meet you, too." The master whispered.

"So, what are we standing around here for? Let's have some fun."

"My favorite word." Finn says, walking back with an armful of food.

Everyone chuckles, including Cyclonis. Hers come out as a melodic voice, and Aerrow notices. After everyone's left, Aerrow says, "Nice laugh."

"Uh…thanks. I don't usually laugh."

"You should do it more often. It's nice."

She blushes, and the sky night suggests, "Why don't I show you something called fun?"

Aerrow shows the master all the games in Terra Neon, playing a couple rounds. Cyclonis looks around the carnival, wishing for more eyes to see all the light shows. She drags the sky night to a roller coaster, enjoying her moment for the first time. Unfortunately, Aerrow recently ate, and when the ride's over, he's feeling a little sick, his face green. "Next time, Cyline, wait 'till I have a less full stomach."

Cyclonis smiles sheepishly, and Aerrow grins, but then barfs in the trashcan. When the leader is done vomiting his dinner, he finds his friend looking at a poster of a play. He walks to her and the master says, "This sounds interesting."

Aerrow looks at the title, time and place, then says, "You want to see it?"

"Uh…okay." she says unsurely.

"Don't worry. It'll be fun."

As they walk, Cyclonis says, "I must thank you."

"For what?"

"Well, you all treated me like a guest, even after what I've done to you all."

"You are our guest. After we heard your story, all of us saw, not the Empress Cyclonis, but a girl that needs help in battle."

Smiling, she says, "That's how I'm feeling right now."

"Don't worry. Everyone will help you to battle those shadow things, and try to find out who you're really are, if you're not the actual empress."

Cyclonis's insides warm at the words. "Thanks, Aerrow. I really appreciate it."

Suddenly, an explosion comes from a shop, and Aerrow and Cyclonis hears screaming. Right away, the sky night unsheathes his blades, glowing white-blue, and they run toward the noise. Their eyes expand at the sight of the shadow beings. They run around, terrorizing the locals, and one of them is eating a bag of popcorn. One shadow, probably the commander, looks at the being with the popcorn, and slaps the food out of his hands. He then starts yelling at the shadow, and Aerrow says, "That reminds me of Repton and Leugey."

The master raises an eyebrow and looks back, then says, "You're right."

The commander looks over to them, and he points.

"Uh oh." Aerrow mutters.

The whole army runs toward them, and Aerrow yells, "Cyclonis, Run!"

"But-"

"RUN! They're after you, not me! Go find our friends!" He runs to the rushing blackness, and the master, hesitant at first, runs away. The teen passes many terrified people, looking for any of her friends. She turns and rushes down a less cramped way and trips over something. The teen looks back and spots Radarr, face full of cotton candy. "Radarr!"

He chatters confusedly while wiping the pink fluff off his fur. The monkey-like animal chatters again and was about to walk out when Cyclonis pulls him back. "Don't!" she whispered. "Unless you want to meet those shadow things again."

Radarr's eyes widen. Cyclonis asks, "What's wrong?" when she notices he's not looking at her. The teen turns and something whacks her face, knocking the mask off. The shadow hisses at his finding, and was about to strike again when Radarr jumps on his face, clawing like a maniac. The dark figure yells and tries to peel the creature off, but the claws just sunk deeper. The shadow makes a fist and swings at the monkey, but he jumps, making the being punch him out. He wobbles a little until Cyclonis kicks a leg, tripping him into the cotton candy machine.

"Radarr, we need to find the others." she explains, but it's hard to see if the pet heard her. The two through the many tents, all empty now, and Cyclonis starts to wonder where everyone is. They were about to turn, but Cyclonis stops and pull Radarr against the tent wall and cover his mouth, just as a small army of shadows run past them. They vanish behind a tent, and Cyclonis sighs in relief while putting Radarr down. "Do you know where the others are?"

The monkey thinks, then starts jumping around, doing charades. "Okay, umm…They were about to go on…the roller coaster when…they entered the theaters."

Radarr smiles and gives thumbs up.

"I got that?"

He nods. Cyclonis says, "Okay, now we just have to avoid the shadows and get to the theaters as fast as we can. Got it?"

The monkey nods again. The master hefts Radarr onto her shoulders, checks the corner and sees the coast is clear, and runs around down the road. The two searches while darting for their friends, but come out empty handed, until Cyclonis crashes into someone. Someone with purple hair.

Starling gets up, rubbing her head, while saying, "I am sorry about that miss. I didn't see…you…" she sees the master push herself up, shaking her head. "Cyclonis!"

She freezes at the voice, turning her head with a sheepish smile. "H-hey, Starling."

The interceptor grabs her nunchucks and says, "What are you doing here?"

"I can tell you what I'm not doing here." The master says, getting to her feet. "I'm not with those shadow creatures that's terrorizing Terra Neon."

"How do I know if that's not a lie?"

"Um…well…" Before she can come up with a good explanation, the two girls hear screaming, and look up to watch Aerrow fall from the sky. He crashes between the girls, and says groggily, "She's with us, Starling."

"What? Are you crazy?"

"It was actually your brother's idea."

Starling sighs and says, "Of course."

Cyclonis helps the leader up just as shadows surround the three. Starling looks around; waiting for them to attack, but it never comes. "What are they waiting for?"

A chuckle echos through the army, making everyone stop dead. _Oh no _thinks the master.

"Not him." Aerrow said with rage dripping.

Some of the beings separate and let the Dark Ace walk in, hands behind him, smirking. "Well, if it isn't my lucky day."


	4. The Guardians

**Chapter 4: The Guardians**

"Well, if it isn't Aerrow, Starling, and Cyclonis." Dark Ace says. "Now what's the expression you kids say, 'kill two birds with one stone'?"

"What are you doing here, Dark Ace?" asks Aerrow.

"If you really want to know, then I was coming here to resupply on light crystals. They're more important than you give credit for. Imagine my surprise when I find the two kids that I want dead here."

The leader steps in front of Cyclonis. "Sorry to disappoint you, but you're not getting close to Cyclonis, and you're not gonna defeat me, either."

The veteran's head rises a little with a look of surprise. "Do my ears deceive me? Is the great Aerrow actually _protecting_ Cyclonis?"

"Stop mocking and let's just get to the point where my team walk away victorious."

Laughing, Dark Ace says, "Sorry Aerrow, but today I'll just show you the real power of my Shader army. Have fun." He vanishes, and the Shaders start advancing.

"Aerrow, do you have a plan?" Starling asks.

"Well, the last time I fought these guys, I nearly lost."

"Well, that's…shocking."

"So, without Rike here to help, I say we run as fast as we can to the Condor."

"Retreat?" repeats Cyclonis. "I've never heard you say that before. You always fight these battles."

"My whole squadron would've fallen if it wasn't for Rike the last time. And that was with only five of these things. I know my limits, and you should find yours before it kills you."

"He's right." says Starling.

The Shaders walk closer to the three, who ready their weapons that have any. Before they attack, everyone hears an engine hum, and a ray blasts Shaders to oblivion. The two sky nights, Radarr, and master look up to see the Condor flying over. "If you want to live," Stork calls. "Then I suggest you get in the ship!"

"We don't have our rides, Stork!"

"Oh, right. Guys, they'll need your help."

"Already on it." Piper says before running to the hangar. Rike, Junko, and Finn are already there, and when Piper gets on her heliscooter, drive out and down to the others. They blast back other shadows, and land next to their friends. Aerrow and Radarr hop on Finn's, Starling on Rike's, and Cyclonis with Piper. The Shaders get over their shock and charge after the kids, but they're already in the air. The Condor starts flying away and everyone chases after it.

"Well, it looks like we outsmarted those creepers." says Finn.

Aerrow warns, "Don't be so sure." when a beam flies past his head, and everyone looks to see the army chasing them. They fire their guns but the Storm Hawks evade and shoot back. "There's too many! Fall back!" Aerrow calls.

Everyone soars back into the Condor. Piper and Cyclonis were about to park when a Shader with wings slashes at the two, scratching Piper's arm and Cyclonis's stomach. The force knocks the master off the bike and Piper makes a wild grab with her good arm, but misses. "No!"

She tries to turn back, but a beam trashes the propellers, and the mage crashes at the edge of the runway. She crawls out of the wreckage and looks back to find a shadow being landing in front of her. "You're mine, child."

He swings his sword, but a blue blade blocks it and Aerrow grabs the being's neck. "Don't you dare touch her!" He thrusts his weapon, cutting straight through the heart, if the shadow had any, and pushes the being off the Condor. "Are you okay?" Aerrow asks, helping Piper up.

Clutching her wound, the specialist says, "I'm fine. But Cyclonis fell off when he attacked."

The leader looks at the sky and sees some Shaders fly down. "Stork, head to the Wastelands!"

"Are you mad!"

"We need to rescue Cyclonis!"

"Oh. Alright." The pilot takes the Condor straight down, heading to where the master vanished.

In the clouds, Cyclonis freefalls straight to the ground, and she looks for a way to slow down. But she's as good as dead. _Someone please, help me._

The barren rock and lava appears, and the air rushing through her starts to make her black out. _No, got to…stay awake._ But her eyes start to lose vision.

A rustle of wings catches her attention, and Cyclonis turns her head to see a brightly colored bird falling beside her. "Don't worry, child. Help is on the way."

The talking bird finally brings the master into unconsciousness. Soon, three other birds of the same feather color fly in and they each grab a limb and soar down to the Wastelands and to a cave just as the Shaders break the clouds. They stop and look around, but don't spot the master. "No sign of the girl. Tell Master Dark Ace that she burned in the Wastelands."

The shadows fly back up and head to their terra, and Aerrow and Rike fly down, followed by the Condor. The redhead asks, "Rike, do you see her?"

He searches the black and molten rock, and spots the colorful bird in a cave. The specialist stares at the bird, then says, "No."

"Then we'll just have to keep searching."

Piper says, "Aerrow, it's no use. Nobody could survive that fall into the Wastelands."

"She's not dead, Piper. But she'll need some alone time."

"Why?" the leader asks.

Rike smirks. "Just trust me."

Aerrow hovers for a while, worry expressing on his face. "Are you sure?"

"Yes." He flies back to the Condor, and the leader looks back to the Wasteland. He sighs, then follows Rike.

* * *

_Cyclonis looks at her surroundings. She finds herself in a terra with two sides. One has grassy hills with friendly trees, and a nice, two-story home. The other side is dark, with a wicked tower and shriveled trees. It reminds the master of Cyclonia._

_Two people come out of the houses, one a man with red hair and a blue suit, the other a blonde woman with flowing robes. They both wear armor, as if getting ready for war. They stop at the edge, where dark and light interact with each other. The adults grab their weapons; the man's a two-hand sword, the woman a metal staff, edges bladed. They start fighting each other, and Cyclonis wants to stop it for some reason, but she couldn't move._

_As the adults fight, they are quickly surrounded by Shaders. The fighters quit attacking each other and face the army back to back. Before Cyclonis's eyes, they morph into teens, one having black hair with faint purple streaks, the other having the same red hair but with a blue and red suit and two blades. The kids attack the shadows, quickly destroying every one of them. The master watches them with amazement._

_But soon, everything blacks out, leaving Cyclonis blind. "What happened? Am I dead?"_

"_No, child."_

_She turns around and the greatest Storm Hawk that ever lived appears, lighting the dark. "Lightning Strike."_

_He smiles. "So you recognize me, Cyclonis."_

"_What are you doing here? What am _I_ doing here? Where am I?"_

"_Patience, child. You are in a dream. And I'm here to tell you information that might help on your travels._

"_As you know, a new threat has risen in Atmos called Shaders, lead by Dark Ace. You must try and destroy the leader, or our home will be lost in darkness."_

"_But I can't defeat them." Cyclonis whines. "Aerrow lost to one of them, and he can beat Dark Ace in a battle, and Dark Ace almost killed me. How can I defeat the Shaders alone?"_

"_You won't be alone, Cyclonis. Aerrow will be there to help. And don't worry. You two will work together amazingly against the threat."_

"_But me and Aerrow are so different. In the past, we fought over and over. How are we supposed to work together?"_

_Lightning Strike chuckles and places a hand on her shoulder. "You'll find out that you and Aerrow have much more in common than you realize, Cyclonis. Now, I must be going." He starts to fade away, but Cyclonis doesn't want him to leave yet. "Wait, what do you mean? Lightning Strike!"_

"_Goodbye, Cyclonis." He vanishes completely, leaving the master alone in the darkness…_

Cyclonis snaps awake, eyes whipping around. She gets up and finds her stomach wrapped in bandages, and questions start popping in her head. The teen looks around and finds she's in a cave. Cyclonis thought she was alone, until someone says, "Great, you're awake."

The master quickly spins around, and finds a guy sitting on a rock, a fire blazing in front of him. He has green and purple hair, a purple goatee, and gray eyes. His suit is multicolored with spines shooting out from the shoulders and elbows, and his gloves have curved claws. Beside him is a cane with a bird's head on the top. He almost resembles a bird. "You had quite a beating, young lady."

Cyclonis notices he has a gigglish accent. She starts to back up from the creepy guy, but he reassures, "Don't worry. We're not here to harm you."

"We?"

"Yes child."

She quickly turns around, and three men step into the fire light. They all wear a cloak with their hoods up, one's hood hides half of the man's face, each a different color. The two tallest wears blue cloaks, one darker than the other, the smallest a golden color.

"Who are you guys?" Cyclonis asks.

"Allow us to introduce ourselves." The light blue one says. "I'm Garin. This is Rital," he waves a hand to the other tallest. "And this is Projest." Indicates to the smallest. "You have already met Arygyn. We are the Guardians."

"The Guardians? I thought you were a legend."

"And that is how we like it. Unless the future shows us interfering with someone." Garin says.

"So, Cyclonis." starts Arygyn, stopping beside the master. "What is the last thing you remember?"

Ignoring how the Guardian knows her name, she says, "Uh, I remember falling down to the Wastelands, and seeing a colorful bird talking to me. But I think that was a hallucination."

"Oh no. That was no hallucination." Garin says. "You saw us in our bird form. We came and saved you from losing your spirit."

"So, I'm no longer in the Wasteland?"

"No. You are still in the Wastelands, just in the safety of a cave." says Rital, his voice gruff. He leans toward Garin and whispers, "I thought she would recognize this place."

"The cave was built when she was still a child. She wouldn't remember much at age four."

Cyclonis snaps, "Would you stop talking like I'm not here? Why did you Guardians bring me to this cave, of all places?"

"If you want to know, follow us." The Guardians head deeper into the cave, the master following.

"As you know, there was a war that took place exactly above us. All of Atmos against Cyclonia. The two that lead the war against each other are the Famous Lightning Strike, the ancestor of Aerrow, and your mother, Vinesta. The two sides fought for many days, but it all ended when Strike's co-pilot betrayed him, destroying almost every sky night and sending the Condor to the Wastelands to rust."

"Enough with the history lesson." Cyclonis says. "I already know how it goes."

"Be patient, child." Projest says.

"And stop calling me child!"

Arygyn states, "Wow. She kinda reminds me of Aerrow."

"Anyway," Garin continues. "Before the war started, Vinesta called upon us and told us to hide some objects someplace safe, so when another war comes, you will be ready for it."

"What objects?"

"Why don't you see for yourself?" Arygyn suggests, pointing his cane into the darkness. A light ball shoots out, and illuminates the shadows back. Cyclonis gasps as her eyes spot something unbelievable.

In front of her is a skimmer of violet, gray and black. The bike is lean, made for agility and speed, and the armor that is on it, having no symbol, is lightweight with the rarest metals on Atmos Cyclonis has ever seen. The engines are similar to the Air Skimmer III, but slightly larger for more speed, and the front has a crystal fuel afterburner. The sides have a secret compartment for extra crystals. "I've never seen anything like this."

"That's because it once belonged to your mother, Cyclonis." says Garin. "With her great mind, she built this skimmer to her liking, and it has seen many battles, surviving every one of them. I like to call it the Air Skimmer IV, if she had shown everyone the design. And now, it's yours."

The master walks slowly to it, rubbing her hand on the unusually warm metal. She sees her mother flying around in it, impressing a younger Cyclonis.

The teen looks up and spots a staff with blades at the end. She grabs the middle part and finds it fits perfectly on her hand, swinging it around herself. The ends glow a purple white, sending a tail light behind as Cyclonis tests her new weapon.

"That double blade staff also belonged to your mother, and was also built by her. You could say she was a skilled assassin with her staff. That weapon can also split into separate daggers as well."

The teen retracts the staff and presses a button. The short staff unlatches in half, becoming purple blades. "Wow."

"And don't forget this cool equipment." Arygyn says, holding a pack on his cane. Cyclonis sets her weapon down and grabs the pack. She presses a button on the strap, and light violet wings appear. "They look like Aerrow's wings."

"Well, all of those wings look alike. The only difference is the color pretty much. But they're still really useful."

"We have shown you all the equipment you'll need. I hope you use them in good care. Until we meet again, Cyclonis." Garin says. The three transform into the colorful birds, flying down to the entrance of the cave and fly out.

Arygyn says, "Before I leave, Cyclonis, I suggest you head to Terra Histove, when you get curious about your past. So long." He turns into a bird and flies after the others. The teen stares in the direction they vanished, trying to process what's happening. She looks around again and finds a violet and blue suit with armor next to it, hanging on the cave wall. Cyclonis takes the suit off the wall and slips it on. She takes off the metal brace so she can put on her knee-high boots, which sends a throbbing pain through her leg. The master bares her teeth in pain as she places the brace back on, then puts the armor pads on. Cyclonis notices that they don't have any symbol on them, confusing her. _Maybe she left it blank for me to put on. Should I put the Talon symbol on or…maybe the Storm Hawks'?_

Deciding to choose a symbol later, the teen places her blade staff on her back, puts her wing pack on, and hops on her new skimmer. She revs the handle, and the bike hums to life, ready to get back flying. Cyclonis drives down the cave to the entrance, feeling a newfound freedom growing inside her, and she stops by the edge of the entrance cave. All around her, black, desolate rock and lava shows, making the whole place a little stifling hot. The master looks around the area and a smile appears on her face with all the new opportunities. After examining the Wastelands, Cyclonis drives into the air and the wings sprout out from the front, the front wheel withdraws inside the body. The teen find she's flying across the Wasteland. Cyclonis whoops as she performs agile tricks around, enjoying the wind on her face. Lava eels raise their heads above the molten rock to see what made the noise, and watches Cyclonis fly around. She soon flies up to the clouds, back to safe places, and looks for her friends. Her eyes turn cheerless when Cyclonis doesn't see anyone. "Must've left when they couldn't find me. How long was I out, anyway?"

The master decides to stop by the first terra she finds, and begins soaring in a direction. As she flies, Cyclonis thinks of what Arygyn said about Terra Histove.


	5. New Equipment

**Chapter 5: New Equipment**

Cyclonis flies through the skies on her skimmer, looking for any terras. So far, nothing but clouds floats across. She starts to get bored at the clouds, wishing for something to happen right now. "No wonder everyone rides an airship."

Her head shoots up, spotting something in the distance. She grins as the thing turns out to be a terra, and flies faster to it. Soon, the teen finds that the small terra is the famous pit stop travelers stop by.

Cyclonis stops a little ways from the terra, remembering that most people loathe her. She thinks of a way to hide herself when she finds something in her cup holder of her skimmer. The master grabs the thing in the holder and sees that its some sunglasses. _Maybe this will hide me from those people. Hopefully, they don't recognize me under the new armor and glasses_.

The master places the sunglasses in front of her violet eyes, and rides to Terra Pit Stop. After she parks by the other skimmers, Cyclonis heads inside and is met with multiple scents of food, coffee, and oil with the sounds of frying and chattering. She looks around at the different travelers, and walks to an empty chair. As soon as the master sits down, the cook comes over and asks, "What can I get ya, girly?"

"I'd just like some soup and tea, please."

The cook eyes her suspiciously, but says, "Very well. Can I interest you in today's special?"

"No thanks."

He walks back into the kitchen and starts cooking her order. Soon, Cyclonis gets her tea, and she sips while listening to everyone's topics. Nothing interests her.

Suddenly, the doors slam open, and everyone stops their talking and looks at the newcomers, along with Cyclonis. Two men walk in, sending a chill through everyone. The master's eyes widen when she recognizes the two.

Both of them are dressed in pirate garments. The bulkiest one has long dreadlocks reaching to his shoulders and a metal claw, but the most disturbing feature is the scratched, empty eye socket. His henchman is plump compared to the other, with green hair in a small bun and an eye patch. They sit down nearby Cyclonis and order the special.

"Are ye sure about that, Captain Scabulous?" whispers the plump pirate.

"I'm sure, Eyeball. There are untold riches hidden at a secret world made out of shadows. As soon as I find the entrance, we'll be richer than Master Cyclonis herself."

"And then we'll get the kitchen upgrade?"

"Aye, Eyeball. We'll finally get that kitchen upgrade. I swear, if I get another tongue splinter, I'll destroy the Blood Crow!"

Cyclonis finally receives her food, as well as the Murk Raiders. As they eat, Eyeball says, "Did ye hear about those shadow things in Terra Neon?"

"Aye. People say that the Storm Hawks were there when those things attacked. I wonder if those annoying kids got killed."

"What interest me the most is that some eyewitnesses say they saw Master Cyclonis with them."

"Master Cyclonis with the Storm Hawks? Hah! If Cyclonis and the Storm Hawks are together, then I'll give all me riches to the poor. That girl was probably someone else resembling that crazy empress."

Anger boils inside Cyclonis at these words, but she continues eating her soup quietly, hoping to learn more from the Murk Raiders.

"Well, captain, some people say that these creatures came from the Far Side, and are super powerful to control. What if those things come to Terra Deep?"

"If they come down to our terra, then we'll have lots more treasures and supplies, many of them probably cost a whole load of money."

Eyeball was about to say something else, when he spots Cyclonis. She quickly looks back to her soup, hoping they don't find out she was eavesdropping. The pirate nudges Captain Scabulous and nods toward her. The captain turns his head toward the teen, examining her. Feeling something coming, the master gets up, placing the change on the counter, and quickly walks out. The Murk Raiders smile and follow her out.

Cyclonis kick starts her skimmer and was about to ride away when Captain Scabulous grabs the handle. "Where do ye think yer going, girly?"

"I'm heading back to my…home terra." she lies.

"Really? Well, with a skimmer like this, and ye weapons, ye must be very rich."

"These are just family heirlooms. Nothing special about these."

"Ye know, Captain, I think she's lying." points out Eyeball.

The captain grabs Cyclonis's suit and pulls her off her bike. "I suggest ye cooperate with me, laddie. Or ye'll find trouble."

"Now, Captain Scabulous, I don't have any money, so if you could just let go, I'll be going."

"How exactly do ye know me name, girly?"

"Oops."

The Murk Raider takes the sunglasses off and sees her bright purple eyes. He gasps and says, "Master Cyclonis?"

She kicks the raider in the chest, making him let go of her, and knocks Eyeball into a row of skimmers, knocking them over. The teen jumps on her bike and rides away just as the pirates get up. "After her!" orders Scabulous.

Cyclonis looks around for another terra, new energy fueling her. "I hope they're not after me, now."

A ray passes her head, and she turns to find the Blood Crow chasing her. The teen's eyelids fall, and she says, "Great. Let's see what this skimmer can do."

The airship starts firing at the girl, but she swiftly dodges them with ease. Captain Scabulous growls and yells, "Keep firing!"

They double their fire power at the teen, but she evades the rays and flies to the side of the Blood Crow. Cyclonis grabs her staff, which starts glowing, and stop by one of the engines. She swipes at the engine, and it shuts off. The master does it three more times, then soars ahead into the window view. The captain watches her speed ahead of the airship, and he smiles. "So, she thinks she can fly faster than us? I don't think so. Prepare all engines! I don't want her out of me sight!"

One Murk Raider pulls some levers, and everyone readies for the burst of speed. But it never comes. Captain Scabulous looks around and asks, "What happened?"

"Uh captain, I think she took out our engines." Eyeball says.

He sighs in defeat. "Fine. Return to Terra Deep. We'll get her another day."

After a while, Cyclonis looks behind and watches the Blood Crow turns around, and she smiles. "That'll teach them. Now, where's the Condor?"

"You lost, girlie?"

The teen turns her head and sees Absolute Zero Suzy Lu flying by her. "Uh, a little." Cyclonis says, turning away. _Do I ever get a break?_

"Well, whatcha' lookin' for? I might help."

"I was looking for the…Condor."

Aaah. Gonna meet the Storm Hawks, are you?"

"Um, yeah." _How am I going to get out of this one?_

"Okay then, I think they're heading in that direction." Suzy Lu points west, and Cyclonis says, "Thanks." before speeding in that direction before the Absolute Zero could find out who she is.

"Nice kid. But why does she look familiar?"

Cyclonis sighs in relief. "That was too close."

After a while, she finally spots the tan airship, and the master grins. But when she flies closer, Cyclonis sees her temporary home is being attacked by Shaders again. "Do these guys ever give them a break?"

In the Condor, Stork dodges another attack from the Shaders, saying, "You go looking for your frenemy, and Shaders start blasting you out of the sky. We are so doomed."

"Just keep avoiding them, Stork. We'll try to stop them." Aerrow says, hanging on the railing. "Everyone, get to your skimmers."

"I'll stay here and watch the Shaders. Maybe I can find a weakness." says Piper.

Everyone heads into the hangar and fly out, heading toward the shadows. "Okay everyone. I think if we team on one, we'll be able to defeat them." suggests Aerrow.

"You sure that will work?" asks Starling.

"Not really."

"That's reassuring. Will we make it, Rike?"

"We'll see." he says, smirking. The interceptor rolls her eyes. Everyone readies their weapon, and start attacking. Finn distracts one of the Shaders, making it chase after the sharpshooter. Meanwhile, Aerrow sneaks behind and jumps onto the shadow's ride. He stabs at the back, but the shadow quickly turns and grabs his wrist. He throws the sky knight off his bike and lets him fall down, but Radarr flies below so Aerrow lands back on his skimmer. "So much for that plan."

A Shader flies toward him, grinning. "So long, sky knight." it hisses. The shadow swipes his glowing blade and Aerrow tries to dodge, but it still got his side. He cries in pain and instinctively tries to stop the stream of blood. Radarr shrieks in surprise, but the leader says, "Don't worry, Radarr. I'm fine."

"Not for long."

The redhead looks up and sees two Shaders coming after her. He raises his blade to block the attack, but the shadow knocks it out of his hand, and the other punches his face. Something cracks, and blood starts gushing out of Aerrow's nose. The monkey whimpers at his wounds, but he still reassures, "It's just a little blood. Nothing bad."

"Aerrow, don't say that. You're already losing too much blood. Get back here before you die!" says Piper, deep concern in her voice.

"Don't worry Piper. I can still fight."

Someone else from the intercom says, "You should follow her order, Aerrow. I'll take care of these idiots."

The leader widens his eyes as he recognizes the voice. "Cyclonis?"

Nobody answers back. Aerrow gets confuse when he hears more engines. The teen looks up and sees the same two Shaders coming for another attack. Radarr shrieks and pulls on his friend's arm but Aerrow can feel his strength fading. He watches as the shadows come nearer, when something flashes in between the two, and their rides soon blow apart. The leader raises his head, looking for the one responsible for destroying two shadows. "Rike, did you do that?"

He stops by the bloodied leader and says, "That wasn't me."

"Then who could've done that?"

"Anyone, actually. The person used the element of surprise against the Shaders. An effective way against any enemy."

"But, who can fly that fast?"

Starling, Junko, and Finn get surrounded by the other shadows, all aiming their guns at them.

"Well, it looks like it's the end for us, ol' buddy." Finn says to Junko.

"Looks like it. But before we die, I just want to tell you, I'm the one who broke your fire guitar."

The sharpshooter's jaw drops. "You said it was Stork's fault!"

"Well, it was kinda Stork's fault when he suddenly shifted the Condor, making me fall a little."

Starling sighs and looks back at the army. They prepare to fire, when something zooms past them all. Purple flashes erupt everywhere, and then all the black skimmers fall apart. The Shaders fall to their doom and the three look around for their savior.

In the Condor, Piper is amazed at the sudden battle in the telescope. "Did you see that, Stork?"

"I did. I've only saw one person with that speed."

"You don't mean, Lightning Strike?"

"It's farfetched, but still could be."

Starling, through the intercom, says, "I don't think it was Lightning Strike. His attacks shoot out blue and these were purple."

"Then who-" the navigator looks up from the telescope, realizing who it could be. Rike grins, saying, "You finally realize who it could be now?"

"I think I do."

"Who is it?" Aerrow asks. Somebody floats beside him, and Radarr chatters in excitement. The leader turns his head and grins, making Cyclonis smile also. "Good to see you alive." he says.

"Good to see you surviving longer against the Shaders."

The redhead chuckles, but then something fall from above and crash into Aerrow, taking him down. Cyclonis gasps and yells, "Aerrow!"

He crashes onto a small terra, almost breaking his back on impact. The leader groans as he gets to his feet, but something punches him in the chest, knocking the air out. He doubles over in pain, struggling to get air back in his lungs, and the enemy grabs the red hair and throws him back. Aerrow rolls across the dirt, then stops, making his blades slide out of arms reach. He moans in pain as the leader gets up, but a sword digs into his shoulder, trapping the sky night on the ground. He roars in pain as blood seep through his suit and onto the dirt. The teen looks up, seeing a sneering Shader unsheathe a dagger. "Time to get rid of some loose ends, sky knight."

He raises his dagger and prepares to strike at the heart, and Aerrow closes his eyes, but something stops the Shader. He looks down and sees a glowing purple blade in his chest. "Of course." he sighs.

The shadow disappears, and Aerrow opens his eyes to see the master. The leader was about to get up, but Cyclonis stops him. "Don't move. It'll only make it worse."

"Cyclonis, here!" yells Rike. He tosses a glowing rock down, and the master catches the healing crystal. She holds it over the shoulder wound, and the rock starts glowing green. Aerrow gasps as he feels his muscle and skin heat up and moves around. Soon, the gash shrinks down, leaving only large cuts on both sides. The teen moves the crystal to the other slash and it shrinks to a small cut. After doing the same to his nose, Cyclonis asks, "Is that better?"

"Yeah, much." Aerrow props himself to a sitting position and looks up. Piper's heliscooter parks and the specialist run over to the two teens, a first aid kit in her hand. "Aerrow, you alright?" she breathes.

"I'm fine, Piper. Thanks to Cyclonis and the healing crystal."

The navigator frantically works on the wounds while Aerrow asks, "So, Cyclonis, where'd you get the skimmer and weapons?"

"You probably won't believe me if I told you."

"Yeah? Try me."

The master smiles. "They're a couple family heirlooms that were hidden in a cave. The Guardians showed me them."

"Guardians? As in terra guardians?" guesses Piper.

"No. I mean the actual Guardians. The ones that are in legends."

Aerrow grins. "I know those guys. They told me that I was the last descendant of Lightning Strike."

Piper rips another piece of the bandage and finishes wrapping the shoulder cut. They hear a noise in the sky, and look up to see everyone flying toward them. They land and walk over to the three, Radarr giving his friend a hug, and Finn says, "Cyclonis, you were AWESOME! I've never seen anyone fly that fast!"

"Oh, stop it. You're embarrassing me."

"I'm serious! You definitely taught those Shaders a thing or two."

Cyclonis blushes. Finn asks, "Hey, can I see your weapon? I never got a good look at them."

The master grabs her staff and stretches it to its full extent. Starling's eyes widen and she says, "I've never seen anything like it."

"Of course you haven't. It was created by my mother."

"Let me guess," Piper says, helping the weak Aerrow up. "Your skimmer was also made by your mother as well?"

She nods.

The Condor floats over to them and Stork says, "Guys, I'm getting an urgent call from someone. And it doesn't sound good."

Everyone looks at Aerrow, who says, "Let's get back. I don't like the sound of that."

They fly back to their airship, concern sweeping across the Storm Hawks and friends. Soon, everyone is on the bridge, where someone is trying to call. The leader presses a button and says, "This is Aerrow of the Storm Hawks."

Instead of someone answering, static just sounds from the intercom. "Hello? Is anyone there?"

"Yes, someone's here alright." hisses a voice. It sends chills through everyone's spine, and Aerrow can guess who it is.

"You're all probably wondering whose calling."

"We've got a pretty good idea who, Shader." Piper growls.

"Oh, yes. I am a Shader, but not just any Shader." Suddenly, a shadow appears in the middle of the room, and forms into a physical body, a grey cape around his shoulder. "I'm the commander of all Shaders."

Everyone snatches their weapons, pointing them at the shadow.

"Don't worry. I'm not here to cause any harm. I'm only here to propose an offer."

"Whatever it is, we don't want to hear it." Snaps Aerrow.

"Hear me out, will you? If you hand Cyclonis to us, then I and the whole Shader army will leave Atmos with minimal damage. If not, we will destroy everything you desire."

"I thought Dark Ace was the leader of the army."

"He is, for now. But soon, the real leader will show. So, Aerrow, do we have a deal?" he raises a hand to the redhead. Cyclonis's face falls in fear, and looks over to the leader, whose face hardens. "If you want Cyclonis, then you'll have to get through all of us."

The commander frowns. "If you insist. But I'll let the offer linger in the air for a week. If you do decide to change your mind, then just blow this whistle." He tosses a small whistle at Aerrow's feet. "One week. I suggest you choose what's right for your friends and family." The Shader vanishes, leaving the feeling of the red eyes boring right through their souls. The redhead picks up the black whistle, a long tube with a whole on top, and stares at it.

Piper starts, "Aerrow, you're not thinking of…"

He raises his blade and strikes downward, shattering the object. "He'll have to do better if he wants Cyclonis."

The teens and adult put their weapons back, and Stork drives as fast as he can. "So, anyone got a plan?"

"We need to learn more about these Shaders. I say we head to Atmosia." Aerrow orders. "They have the biggest collection of history."

Cyclonis doesn't think that'll work. She remembers what Arygyn said to her before leaving, _I suggest you head to Terra Histove, when you get curious about your past._

"What about Terra Histove?"

Everyone looks at her like she's crazy. "Terra Histove?" repeats Piper. "That's only a legend, Cyclonis. Why would you suggest that?"

"Um, what is Terra Histove?" Junko asks.

Aerrow answers, "Legend says Terra Histove holds every single piece of history ever since the Atmos was created. If you can find the terra, then you can find any answers about the past."

"Well, sounds like a good place to find out about those Shaders." says Finn.

"But, like I said, it's a legend. It doesn't exist." Piper says.

"We thought Terra Vapos was a legend. Same with dragons. All turned out to be real."

"Okay. All the other things we thought were legend actually were real, but Terra Histove is too…absurd."

"Piper, we don't have a lot of time. I say we go find Terra Histove, if it is real." says Aerrow. "First, we need to figure out the location it could be hiding. Anyone got any ideas?"

Everyone shrugs, and the leader rubs the back of his head. "I guess, either way, we're heading to Atmosia."

Stork says, "Alright. At least there, I can get some more repellent."

"And more engine crystals for the trip. You don't know how much we're traveling to find a legend terra." adds Piper.

As everyone gets comfortable, Cyclonis walks to the window and watches the clouds fly by. She gets nervous all through the journey, wondering if she could just stay on the Condor when they get to Atmosia. Aerrow walks to her and says, "You're nervous about this, huh?"

"Is it that obvious?"

"Don't worry. This time, you can stay on the Condor with Stork. Unless you want to look around Atmosia."

"No. I'm fine on the Condor."

"Okay. If we find anything, we'll contact you."

Cyclonis smiles and mocks a salute. "Yes sir, captain."

The sky knight laughs and says, "I see you have a sense of humor, as well."


	6. Duel

**Chapter 6: Duel**

On the alcove of the bridge, Cyclonis sits at the edge, watches the stars slowly vanish as light seeps in the east. She recalls the dream that woke her up in the middle of the night, which still sends shivers down her body…

_Cyclonis stands on what's left of Cyclonia. Rock slowly crumbles to pieces, her home rusts and breaks. The teen turns around and sees all the other terras in the bleak clouds. Fire spreads across the homes, the towns collapsing into nothing, sky knight squadrons are defeated by the power of shadows. On what's left of Atmosia, she sees her friends surrounded by the Shaders, and a human-like being floating toward the Storm Hawks and quickly kill them all. She gasps at the sight, wanting to leave now. "Please let it be a dream. Please let it be a dream."_

"_No, Cyclonis. This isn't a dream." Hisses a feminine voice, chilling the teen down to her core. "This is your future."_

"_No. No, it can't be." she squeaks. _

"_You know it's true, Cyclonis. You were made to rule Atmos. Do you remember the offer the Commander Shader proposed?"_

"_What does that have to do with any of this?"_

"_Everything. On exactly the last day of the week, you give yourself to the Shader King in his realm, leaving everyone."_

"_Are you crazy? If I do turn myself in, the Shaders will just kill me!" Cyclonis screams._

"_Oh no, Cyclonis. They don't kill you. Instead, the Shaders give you the option of being taught their powers. You agree, and soon you become the most feared being on all of Atmos. Your first mission is destroying all the sky knights and their squadrons. Especially the Storm Hawks."_

"_Why would I do that? They gave me a place to live and their friendship, and I would just betray them like that?"_

"_Of course. You know that they will backstab you. They're only being friendly so they can find all your secrets."_

"_But, they wouldn't-but…no. That can't be true!"_

"_Oh, it's true, Cyclonis. With the power of the Shaders, you destroy the Dark Ace and conquer all the terras. It has always been your destiny."_

"_Stop putting lies in my head!" she screams. She falls on her legs, clutching her head. "Please stop."_

"_All your life, you have been shunned, abandoned, and loathed. I know all those things. I can feel your anger against everyone, and you want revenge because of it. Angry with your so-called friends, angry with all of Atmos, angry with your parents abandoning you. The anger overpowers you and makes you see the truth of life. Using the anger, you defeat everyone that ever comes across you, everyone who disagrees with you, sending fear into all the survivors."_

"_Stop it. Who are you?"_

_The being chuckles at the question. "Isn't it obvious, Cyclonis? Only one person can know your deepest desires. Your deepest secrets. I am your best friend, your greatest enemy. I am your soul and mind. I'm in your future, and in your past. I'm not a stranger, Cyclonis. I'm…"_

_The master turns around and all the blood drains. In front of her is a teen with deep back hair, dead red eyes, a devilish smirk on her white face. Her garments are a dark purple and shadow black cloak, covering down to her feet. She floats in the air, the bottom of her cloak billowing in invisible wind._

"…_You."_

Cyclonis snaps open her eyes at the sight of herself. Her breathing starts getting haggard at the remembrance. _Was I telling the truth? Was that really my future?_

She tries to shake those cold eyes out of her head, but they're permanently etched into her mind. _No. That will _not _be my future. I'll make sure that will never come._

"Cyclonis?"

The teen turns her head and sees Starling, holding two cups. "You alright?"

She was about to answer yes, but it gets stuck in her throat. "No. Not really."

The interceptor sits next to her and hands her the cup. "Here. This will probably help clear your head."

The teen takes a sip and the tea warms her through, her head clearing. "Thanks."

"No problem."_ This feels weird._ "Um, I know it's none of my business, but do you mind if you tell me what the problem is?"

"Nothing big, really. Just a dream."

"I'm guessing that was a devastating dream."

"You have no idea."

The two stay quiet for a while, sipping their drinks. "Cyclonis, how exactly did you meet my brother?"

"Actually, it was the other way around. Rike just appeared out of nowhere in Cyclonia and stopped Dark Ace from killing me. He then took me here while I was unconscious."

"Wait, Dark Ace tried to kill you?"

"Yeah. He was the one that led the Shaders to Cyclonia. He also told me that my ancestors were never the rulers of Cyclonia."

"That must've come as a big blow to you."

"I felt like my whole life shattered into a million pieces." She looks back to the sky, which brightens more as the first peeks of dawn appear. "Starling, what's up with your brother?"

"What do you mean?"

"Whenever he goes off into battle, Rike seems to know the enemy's move before they even perform it. What is up with that?"

Starling laughs. "He has the family gift. Every generation, at least one child receives the talent, which helps them in battle and helping their friends and family."

"What would that gift be?"

"He has the gift to see into the future." She says, a smile appearing. The interceptor laughs at the look Cyclonis got, which is amazement. "How is that possible?"

"Our ancestor was once a powerful time mage, who can see the past and future at will. But over the time, the talent slowly ebbed away until you only can see a little into the future at will. Rike says he saw at least a day ahead. The power shows as bright, purple eyes full of wisdom."

"That must be so cool."

"It is, but the gift also has a downside. At some point in their life, the power turns inward, destroying your insides, slowly and painfully. Soon, about a week later, they…die."

Cyclonis stares at her, a tear building in one eye. "That's awful."

"That's why I was so relieved when I saw Rike, alive and healthy, on Terra Neon. All those years, I thought the gift killed him, and every day, I greatly missed him, many tears falling at night. His death brought nightmares every single day in my young life."

"Well, now that you know Rike's alive, you must be relieved, right?" Cyclonis says.

"I am, actually. Just not as much as I thought I would be."

"Why is that?"

"Knowing he's alive, then that means he still has a short life span. I don't think I could ever forgive myself if I watch my only brother dying again." Her voice cracks and Cyclonis see tears running down her face.

"But, isn't there a cure?"

"I don't know. I've been searching for a cure for the last ten years, risking my life in places like the Great Expanse and the Wastelands, hoping to find something so my future descendants won't have to face the same fate. Of course, now, I may still have time to help my brother to, at least, make the gift dormant."

"Maybe we can help." offers the master.

"That's very nice of you, but I don't think Rike would want his secret out yet."

"Starling, sooner or later you'll have to tell them. Maybe we can find something about the cure on Terra Histove."

"You act like Terra Histove is real."

"Maybe because a Guardian suggested it. If it isn't real, then why would he tell me?"

"Maybe he's trying to mislead you."

Cyclonis stays quiet, unsure what to say. "Uh, Starling, can you keep a secret?"

"Sure."

"Well, ever since I was young, I've had this feeling in my core and mind. It usually tells me if its the right thing to do, and it goes haywire when there's a battle I can't win. I've learned to trust it through my life."

Starling smiles. "Sounds as useful as seeing the future."

"Yeah, kinda. You know, it's really nice telling someone else your problems."

"That's what friends are for."

A terra appears in the clouds. The interceptor says, "We should head inside. Looks like we're almost to Atmosia."

They get up and walk back into the bridge, where Stork is, once again, at the wheel.

* * *

The Condor parks at the edge of the city of Atmosia, and the Storm Hawks, Rike, and Starling walk out. Aerrow says, "Okay, if we find anything useful in the library, we'll give you a call, Cyclonis."

"Got it."

"Will you two be okay?"

"Oh, I'll be fine. I don't know about Stork, though."

"Okay. Let's go." The seven head into the city as Cyclonis closes the hatch. She walks to the training room where Cyclonian dummies and monsters stand around. The teen checks the high score and sees Aerrow's name with the number, **2,533**. Grinning, she says to herself, "Is that the best he can do?"

Cyclonis starts the training, and soon, blasting erupts everywhere.

In Atmosia, Aerrow says, "Alright, Piper and Junko, you go get the supplies while the rest search the library for anything about Terra Histove. After you drop the supplies on the Condor, you can come help us."

"Okay, Aerrow." Piper says. She and Junko walk to the stores and everyone else heads to the Atmos library. They enter the building and behold towers of shelves filled of books, all full of history. "Okay, gang, let's split up. Maybe we'll find something faster."

They separate and walk into different sections, picking books that could hold information about legend terras. Hours pass, and the stack of useless books raises higher, and everyone is getting tired of the black words. Finn's eyes droop over one book, and his head falls onto it, snoring. Starling walks over to him, and slaps his head. "Wake up, Finn."

"Huh? What? Did we find it?" he quickly says, shooting his head back up.

"No. Not a single word."

The sharpshooter groans. "Why can't these things ever be simple? I'm getting tired of books."

"Hold on, guys. I may have found something." Aerrow calls.

* * *

Cyclonis blasts the last dummy, shooting stuffing everywhere. The timer booms, and the master looks at the score, breathing a little hard. She smiles at the score. "Yes! I can't wait to see Aerrow's face."

The teen wipes the sweat off her forehead and walks back to the bridge. "Hey Stork. Any news?"

"No, nothing. Unless because they were quietly kidnapped."

"Stop being so negative."

"Ha ha. I don't always think of the negative. Wait, are those Murk Raiders?"

"What?" the master walks to the windows and looks out. Her eyes widen when she spots Captain Scabulous, Eyeball, and a few other Murk Raiders walking into the city. "What are they doing here?"

"I don't know, but it can't be good."

They watch the raiders march to the center of the city and spread across. "I'm going out there." says Cyclonis.

"Are you crazy? You want to be captured?"

After grabbing her staff, she answers, "They can't capture me if they can't see me." and heads out. Stork shakes his head and says, "She's crazy."

Cyclonis runs and hops up toward the roof. She continues jumping on the tops of the buildings until the teen finds the captain in the street. There, she can hear Captain Scabulous speaking. "If what those people saying are true, then those Storm Hawks should know where that crazy Cyclonis is. She should bring big cash from this place."

"Oh, yes. I seriously can't wait for the kitchen upgrade." Eyeball says.

Cyclonis sighs and thinks to herself, _Why is everyone after me?_ She turns around and sees Junko and Piper walking with armful of foods and crystals. "Do you think Aerrow and the others found anything on Terra Histove?"

"I don't know. Maybe."

"Guess we'll see when we get to the-aah!" someone pulls the mage and Wallop into an alley and covers their mouths. "Don't worry. It's just me."

"Cyclonis!" Piper says after moving the hand out of her mouth. "What are you doing here?"

"Shhh! There are a couple of Murk Raiders here, waiting for you."

"Why are they waiting for us?"

"Well, they're really looking for me."

"And why is that?"

Cyclonis whispers, "I accidently met them before and left them…um, banged up."

"Really?" asks Junko. "Nice job."

"Okay, then I guess we'll just have to take the back way." Piper says.

"What about the others?" Cyclonis asks.

"You go warn them and me and Junko will quickly drop the supplies off, then come and help."

"Okay. Good luck." The master runs back out, staying in the shadows, and the two Storm Hawks quietly walk down the alley. Soon, though, they are stopped by a Murk Raider. "Where do ye think yer going?" He activates his energy blade.

Piper thinks of a way to escape, then says, "What's that?" and pointing behind the pirate. He turns around, but doesn't find anything, and turns back only to get punched out. The raider falls unconsciously on the ground, and Junko throws him into the garbage. "That takes care of him."

Aerrow and his gang walks out, a book in his hand. "I hope the others are alright."

"Don't worry, Aerrow. Knowing the others, I'm sure they can handle on their own when danger comes." Starling says.

Rike suddenly stops, feeling a slight sting in his stomach. At the same time, an image flashes in his head. Cyclonis runs to them and some pirate-looking things attack them. Starling turns around and sees her brother a way back. "Is there something wrong, Rike?"

"Oh, there will be soon." he answers, walking up to them.

"What do you-"

"Guys!"

Everyone turns and sees Cyclonis running to them. "What are you doing out of the Condor?" the leader asks.

"We don't have much time. We need to get out of here before-"

Suddenly, Murk Raiders jump out and surround the group, pointing their sparking blades at them. Aerrow tosses the book to Radarr and everyone grab their weapons. "What are Murk Raiders doing here in Atmosia?"

"Isn't it obvious?" someone calls from the crowd. The raiders create a gap, and Captain Scabulous and Eyeball walk in. "We're here to collect a reward."

"What reward?" asks Junko.

"The reward we'll get for turning in Cyclonis, why else, laddies?"

"Well, you'll have to get through all of us." Aerrow says.

Cyclonis says, "Don't worry Aerrow. I can take him."

"Ha ha ha! I see ye's got some fire in that heart of yers. But, I don't think that'll be a smart decision."

"Oh yeah? How about this, Scabulous." Cyclonis walks up to him, grinning. "How 'bout a one-on-one duel. You and me. If I win, you let us go. If you win, I'll come quietly."

"Cyclonis, are you sure?" asks the redhead.

The master turns and gives him a smirk, befuddling Aerrow. _Why does that smirk look familiar?_

She turns back to the captain and asks, "What do you say?"

"Ye and me on a duel? Ye are crazy to come against me, girly. But, I accept." He shakes Cyclonis's hand, sealing the deal. "At exactly five minutes, we duel." The captain and crew walk away, laughing hysterically.

"Oh, they have no idea what they're getting into." says Finn, grinning.

"Cyclonis, you sure you can take on him?" Aerrow asks.

"Of course. I battled worse than him."

"But, in your condition?"

"What do you-" she looks at herself and remembers the leg and arm. "Oh."

"Don't sweat it, Aerrow." Finn says, gripping Cyclonis's shoulder. "Cyclonis will take them on without breaking a sweat, won't you?"

"Finn, my back still hurts, too." The master winces.

"Oh, sorry."

The group hears murmuring, and look around to see crowds gathering, staring at Cyclonis. She looks around and starts to get nervous, saying, "Wish the duel was someplace else."

Three old guys walk toward the Storm Hawks, the Sky Knight Councilors. The leader, Lyron, stops in front of Aerrow and asks, "Aerrow, why exactly is Master Cyclonis with you?"

Junko and Piper run and join their friends. Aerrow says, "Uh, well, Sky Knight Councilors, she's with us because, uh…how should I explain it?"

Rike steps in and says, "Cyclonis is with us because we have a common enemy."

"And who would that be, mister…"

"Rike. Brother of Starling. And the enemy is Dark Ace."

Murmurs move through the crowd, and Lyron says, "But the Dark Ace is Cyclonis's right hand man. How could he be an enemy of her?"

"He may have been her right-hand man in words, but not in mind. Secretly, he planned an assault against Cyclonis with his army of Shaders."

"Shaders?" the council gasps. "That is impossible!"

"Hold on. You know about the Shaders?" asks Aerrow.

"Yes. We do. Before Cyclonia came, the Shaders fought with all the free terras. They almost destroyed everything, until a miracle happened. After that, we thought the Shaders were gone for good."

"Well, they're back, and under the control of Dark Ace."

"Oh, no. The Shaders only follow one being, and that is the Darkness himself."

"D-D-Darkness himself?" stutters Piper. "Why does that name give me the chills?"

Finn asks, "Uh, can we deal with one problem at a time?"

The crowd gasps and back up, letting the Murk Raiders in. "Five minutes are up. Ye ready, Cyclonis?" Captain Scabulous asks.

The crowd forms a circle around the master and captain. Piper leans to the redhead and asks, "Ready for what?"

"A duel."

She widens her eyes. "In that condition?"

Captain Scabulous unsheathes his sword and powers it, purple energy forming around the metal. "Where's your weapon, girly?"

"Right here." The master grabs her staff and swings it around, activating it. "You sure you want to do this?"

"Yer the one who brought it up, and I never back down from a fight. Eyeball, whenever yer ready."

The first mate grabs a gong and rings it, signaling the start of the duel. Scabulous yells and rushes, but Cyclonis ducks and punches his face. The captain backs up, clutching his mouth, and says, "Big mistake, girly."

He strikes from above, but the master detaches her blades and cross-blocks the captain's sword. Captain Scabulous forces his blade down, slowly making Cyclonis fall to her knees. "I suggest you give up now, before I ruin that pretty face of yours."

"I think not." She says, grinning. Scabuous raises an eyebrow, and the master slashes the blade, making it deactivate and fall apart from the handle. The teen jumps and kicks the pirate back with her good leg, making him crash into a stand. When she lands, the master gasps as pain explodes in her back and leg, but she still walks to the pirate. He groans and opens his eyes to see a purple blade pointing at him, Cyclonis smiling. Scabulous growls, then says, "Fine. Take your prize."

"I asked for a duel. Not a duel to the death." She corrects him, placing the swords back behind her. "Besides, if I kill you, then that would make me captain of the Murk Raiders. And I really don't want to be a pirate." The master walks back to her friends where a cheering Finn jumps around. "You just got pounded by a girl, Scabulous."

He growls and reaches back, grasping a bomb crystal in a secret pocket. The captain throws it toward the back of Cyclonis, but she quickly twists around and grabs it, smirking. "Nice try, and thank you for the crystal."

Captain Scabulous growls, then walks away to his ship, the crewmen following. Lyron turns back to the Storm Hawks and asks, "Is there a reason you're here, and why the Murk Raiders were here as well?"

"The Murk Raiders were here to try and get Cyclonis here, and sell her to you." Aerrow answers. "And we're here for this book." Radarr walks by, still carrying the large book.

"And why would you need a book?"

"Believe it or not," Piper says. "We need that book to find Terra Histove."


	7. Recon Mission

**Chapter 7: Recon Mission**

"Terra Histove? Are you serious?" Lyron asks. "That is only a legend."

"Says who?" Cyclonis asks, noticing something weird about the councilor.

He backs up a little, then says, "Well, uh…pretty much …everyone. Nobody has any proof its real."

"If nobody has proof, then why is there a passage of it in the book?" reasons Aerrow.

"Because…the author used the…rumors from sailors to put in his book."

The master examines Lyron and sees that he's edgy, his eyes darting around. "You know something about Terra Histove, don't you?"

"What? Of course not. Only what the rumors say about that terra."

"And you know more about the Shaders than you admit, considering your outburst before. Am I right?"

Lyron looks down, the others a little fidgety. "If you follow me, I'll tell you everything I know."

Cyclonis smiles at her victory, and the Storm Hawks and friends head to the council building. When they enter, Aerrow finds the same high table and chairs, where they were going to register before. The councilors continue heading behind the table, where a hidden door opens. The others are stunned by the sudden entrance, but continue following the Sky Knight Councilors. Soon, everyone walks into a storm hangar, where food, entertainment, and communication sit.

Lyron walks to one barrel and opens it to reveal, not food, but books. He takes a shadow-black book out and says, "This book has been passed down through many generations, ever since my great-great-grandfather found Terra Histove."

"So, Terra Histove is a real place." Piper states.

"Yes, it is. But no one can find it because it only appears to people by accident. If you want to find it, Terra Histove will never show you itself." Lyron hands the book to Aerrow, who says, "Thanks."

Radarr hands the councilor the library book. Lyron says, "Hopefully, you bring us another miracle, like the last time."

"Don't worry. Soon, the Shaders will be no more. C'mon, guys. We have work to do." The leader walks out of the cellar, followed by the others. Cyclonis thinks over at what the councilor said, wondering if she can still find Terra Histove herself.

* * *

After Aerrow explained to Stork what happened, everyone sit around the table, waiting for what the book has to say. Piper opens the dark manuscript and scans through the yellow pages, some stained with something red. "Is that blood?" Rike asks.

Piper says, "I hope not." She continues searches the pages, amazed at the information. "I don't believe it. This book is full of all the monsters and enemies all over Atmos. Even some that could only be in the other side."

"Are you serious?" exclaims Aerrow.

"Can we just get to the part about the Shaders?" Finn impatiently asks.

The navigator looks at him, bothered, then turns the page to the shadow people. "Here it is."

"_There are different monsters all over Atmos, but of all of them, none is worse than the Shaders. These beings are made purely out of shadow, full of rage, but patience. Many have tried to destroy them, very few surviving to tell their tale._

"_All the Shaders follow only one person. No one knows his real name, so he goes as Darkness, having a body full of peoples rage, fears, and desires inside. The Darkness uses trickery and hypnosis to make others do his bidding. Many people lost trust with their friends, even families, creating many wars, much to the pleasure of the Darkness._

"_The Darkness has ruled Atmos for hundreds of years, and everyone would have fallen into despair if not for the hope of Atmosia. The Aurora Stone has lit the skies with light, vanquishing the darkness surrounding it. The Darkness has searched for a way to destroy the enemy, but could never get close to it._

"_One day, a man has come up with a plan to overcome the darkness and destroy all the Shaders, and their master. Risking everything, Solomen Palon stole the Aurora Stone and, with his sky knight squadron, head to the Shader's homeland. Many people thought he was crazy and a traitor to steal their only hope, but many of Solomen's friends came and helped. A great war takes place, killing a great number of people. In the end, Solomen unleashes the full power of the Aurora Stone, sending all the Shaders to oblivion and destroying the Darkness. Sunlight rises for the first time in centuries to the terras, and everyone celebrates the great miracle. But it came with a price. The power proved too much for Solomen, so he sacrificed himself to keep the power from destroying all of Atmos. _

"_To this day, everyone remembers the day as the Great Miracle, and the people of Atmosia built a statue memorial in the center of the city, to honor our great hero."_

"So that's who the statue is." says Aerrow. "At least we know how to defeat this Darkness."

"The question is; where are they living now?" Cyclonis asks.

Piper says, "That's a good question. Where **are** they living?"

Starling rubs her chin, thinking hard, then gets an idea. "Hey, guys, where did they first appear?"

Everyone turns to Cyclonis. She looks at them and asks, "You think their homeland is somewhere in Cyclonia?"

"It's just a suggestion."

"But a very good one." states Piper.

"How about a recon mission." suggests the interceptor.

"That's a great idea!" Piper cheers. "How about me and Cyclonis head to Cyclonia and search the whole place for-"

Suddenly, the radio statics and a voice appears, "Hello? Can anyone here me? We need help!"

The leader runs to it and calls back, "Hello, this is Aerrow of the Storm Hawks. What is the problem?"

"We are being attacked by…I don't know, shadow-things, and we cannot fight back. It's like they send fear to your soul!" from behind, they hear a scream and an explosion, and Aerrow asks, "Where are you?"

"Terra Blizzaris. You must hurry! They'll be here-" the line cuts off. Aerrow looks back to his team and asks, "Why Terra Blizzaris?"

"Isn't that terra closest to Cyclonia?" guesses Starling.

Cyclonis agrees, "She's right. It's the first terra I conquered."

The leader sighs, then says, "We'll have to split up. Piper, I'm sorry, but we'll need you to find a weakness against the Shaders. So Cyclonis and Starling will have to go to Cyclonia."

"Is there a reason you're teaming me with Cyclonis?"

"No reason. The rest will head to Terra Blizzaris and help the Absolute Zeros against these shadows. If we can't defeat them, then we'll have to evacuate the terra. We'll meet at Terra Bogaton."

"Uh, won't it be too hot for the Absolute Zeros?" Rike asks.

"I'll take a frost crystal so they can stay nice and cool." says Piper.

Aerrow asks, "Okay, everyone know the plan?"

The Storm Hawks all nod, and the leader orders, "Stork, take us to Terra Blizzaris."

"This is going to end in doom, I just know it." The carrier pilot powers the engines and shoots toward the terra.

The redhead turns to the two girls and says, "I suggest you two get going."

Starling hugs Rike a see-you-later and whispers, "Try not to get killed."

"Sis, you should know me by now." he jokes.

The two girls head to the hangar bay, but Cyclonis stops and turns back to the Storm Hawks. "Good luck." she says, then catches up to Starling.

The hangar doors open and Starling and Cyclonis flies to the once-great Cyclonia.

After about an hour, the small team enters night. They look around at the sudden darkness, and Starling asks, "Is it already night?"

"I don't think so. I think it's just the Shaders' darkness. It must be spreading across Atmos."

"All the more reason to find their place as fast as we can." The two speed up their travel, anxiety following. They start to feel cold and defenseless, and Cyclonis thinks, _This is probably what they meant by feeling fear in their soul_.

Soon, the two spot Cyclonia, or what's left of it. It looks like the Cyclonia the master saw in her nightmare, but with slightly better conditions. Rock crumbles to the Wastelands, the metal is slightly rusted, and the tower was twisted into something more menacing by the Shaders. Cyclonis looks around with unbelief on her face. "What did they do to my home?"

"Remember Cyclonis, this is just a recon mission. So please don't try and go after the Shaders."

"Alright."

The two fly below and park along the edge of the runway. They climb up and sneakily walk to the hangar doors, checking the area. Starling whispers, "Nobody here. I don't like it."

"Starling, why are we looking in here if they fell from the sky?"

"Because, if you look up, there's nothing there anymore. I think they turned Cyclonia into their homeland."

"That would explain for the feeling of darkness in the air, and the bleakness of everything."

"Let's try and find where the commanding room is, or, better yet, the Darkness himself." They run inside, making no noise on the metal, still no shadows. Cyclonis leads her friend through the hallways, searching all the rooms they find. The slowly climb higher into the tower, still finding nothing, or no one. "What's with the lack of Shaders? I was expecting them to be everywhere."

"I don't know, but I've got a feeling we're being watched." Starling says, and the master notices a hint in her voice. "Is there something wrong?"

"No. Why would there be?"

"I don't know. You just sound a little…distracted."

"It's nothing. Just…nothing." the interceptor quickly says. Cyclonis starts to get worried about her, but she continues. Many empty rooms ahead, they find an office-like room, where a tall chair sits behind a table full of paper. Starling says, "Let me guess, your studies?"

"Uh huh."

"Do you have any maps? Maybe we can use those someday."

"Good idea. You keep watch, I'll find the maps." Cyclonis enters her studies, looking for the papers while the interceptor keeps an eye in the halls. The master digs through the desk, finding some old plans and notes, but not finding the maps. "C'mon. Where are those maps?"

Starling hears some footsteps on her right, and turns to see shadows on floors. "Cyclonis, someone's coming."

"Just a few more seconds." She starts searching her bookshelves, and the interceptor gets more fidgety as the shadows get closer. "C'mon, Cyclonis." Soon, a Shader appears in the hallway, Dark Ace with him. Starling gasps and hides behind a statue, watching the master still looking. The two enemies get closer, and Starling can hear what they're saying, "You sure you heard something, Snapjack?"

"I'm sure of it. Unlike you _humans_, we have great hearing, picking up a mouse's squeak from five yards."

"Well, I don't see how anyone could get in here. They're too afraid to come even close to this place."

"What about the girl?"

"Cyclonis? If she comes here, death is all she'll feel."

"You sure about that?"

Cyclonis spots a rolled up parchment, and smiles when they appear as maps. "Yes!" she whispers.

"Did you hear that?" the Shader asks. The master covers her mouth and starts looking for a hiding spot.

Dark Ace says, "Yes, I did. I think it came in this room."

Dark Ace and Snapjack enter the study and walk past where Starling is hiding. They look around the room, but all that appears are books, papers, and the desk and chair. "I guess we're just hearing things."

"Oh no. We Shaders don't mistake fake sounds with real."

"Then I guess your 'great hearing' is hearing someone talking behind that wall. Come on. We have work to do." He walks out the room, but Snapjack examines the room once more, eyes stopping at the desk. He growls softly, but turns and walks after Dark Ace. When their footsteps are gone, Cyclonis looks over the desk and sees Starling by the door. "Come on. We need to move now."

"I'm coming." She hops over the table and they both sneak out, watching for more Shaders. Soon, though, they reach the very top, where Cyclonis's experimental room is. She looks around, and finds that her machines were replaced with a gigantic chair. "This must be where the Darkness sits."

"And I think we've got everything we need. We should head back." says Starling.

After they close the door, the girls run back down the halls and stairs, hiding in shadows when Shaders appear. Miraculously, Starling and Cyclonis arrive at the hanger, unnoticed, where their skimmers are parked. Before they can hop on, someone behind them asks, "Where do you think you're going?"

The two turn around and see Dark Ace at the hangar doors. He smirks and snaps his fingers, and Shaders immediately surround the girls, blocking their way to the skimmers. Cyclonis and Starling grab their weapons, and the master says, "I was wondering why this was so easy."

"Like I said before, Cyclonis. If you come here, death is all you'll feel." Dark Ace says, grabbing his sword from his back. Two shadows capture Starling from behind, and pull her to the crowd. She struggles to free herself, but the Shaders' hands are like cables on her wrists.

Dark Ace utters, "Now, Cyclonis, we finish this once and for all."

"I couldn't agree more."

The veteran jumps up and swings his sword at Cyclonis, but she jumps back and strikes with her staff. The two clashes against each other, sending multicolor sparks in the air, much to the distaste of the Shaders. The master sweeps her blade end, and sends a purple ray toward Dark Ace, blasting him back. She smiles, but it vanishes when the veteran gets up. "Very good. I see that you've been working out."

"Thank you."

"But that still won't stop me from destroying you." He strikes from above, making Cyclonis block it, and kicks the braced leg. She shrieks as pain flows through her muscles. Dark Ace hops in the air, power surging through his body, and brings the energized blade down, shooting an electric beam. Cyclonis gasps just before she gets hit, and screams as a shocking pain spreads through her, multiplying on her injuries. The teen collides onto the floor, and Starling screams, "Cyclonis!"

She groans and grasps her staff, but the traitor steps on Cyclonis's arm, sending a world of pain everywhere. Tears form in her eyes, and the master looks up to the smirking face. "Do you have any lasts words, girl?"

Cyclonis growls at the words, but then smiles. "Yeah. I still have a trick up my sleeve." She kicks Dark Ace in the air and takes out her oblivion crystal, hidden in a pocket. When the veteran gets on his feet, he looks over to her and spots the dark purple crystal. "Uh oh."

"So long, traitor." The teen activates the rock, and a purple beam flies in the air. Starling gasps as the ray explodes, expecting to see the Dark Ace gone. But when the flash dims, the veteran looks up and sees a dumbfounded Cyclonis. "Wait, aren't I supposed to be somewhere else?" he asks.

"Uh, sir." A Shader taps his shoulder. "A Shader was in your way when the beam hit."

The Dark Ace looks back to the teen and smirks. "Nice try, Cyclonis."

She tries to shoot another ray, but the veteran is one step ahead of her and knocks the Oblivion Crystal to oblivion. He punches Cyclonis in the face, and the teen stumbles back. She looks up and quickly blocks a thrust from a glowing red blade. The master tries to force it away from her stomach, but the sword is slowly inching closer and closer. "Why do you still fight, even when the inevitable is staring right in your face?" Dark Ace asks.

"Because, I still have hope in my heart, and that keeps me motivated to destroy you and your army!"

"Hahahahaha! Hope? Such a pathetic emotion. You're parents had it too, and they were pathetic, like you."

A bubble breaks, and newfound anger fumes inside Cyclonis as her mother appears in her head. "Don't. Talk. About. My. Mother. Like. THAT!" She pushes the sword away, grabs Dark Ace's collar, and throws him back. The veteran bounces and crash into the metal, his back aching. Starling notices a purple aura starting to surround Cyclonis, and her eyes start to glow the same color. Dark Ace faces up and sees the rage-filled face, who says with a second voice behind, "How about you see what my mother and I can do."

The teen splits her staff into the blades and twirls into the air, Starling thunderstruck with her action. Cyclonis stops and arches her blades in the air, sending a violet energy ring flying around her. The Shaders scream as they come into contact with the energy, disintegrating into nothing. Starling closes her eyes in preparations of the ring, but a soothing sensation spreads instead, ridding all pains. Dark Ace is sent back by the ring, and screams as shocking pain passes through every molecule in his body, finally crashing through the wall.

Cyclonis floats down to the ground and lands on her feet, still looking at the veteran. He climbs out of the hole, bruised and cut, and asks, "How-how could you…?"

Starling gets up and walks to the master. "Cyclonis, do you have any idea what that was?"

"Uh, no. Not really." she answers, calming down.

"That move is the famous Thunder Talon! The most powerful move in all of Atmos! I've never seen it in action before."

The master smiles, but then turns her head at the sound of metal. Dark Ace moves to his feet, a scowl on his face, saying, "You've made a big mistake, Cyclonis."

"No. You've made the big mistake of betraying me, Ace."

The veteran growls and Shaders emerge from the air behind him. Starling prepares her nunchucks, but Cyclonis says, "We should leave now."

"Good idea."

The Shaders charge the girls, but they jump onto their skimmers and fly away from the dark terra. Some shadows grow wings and chase after the girls, but are slowly losing sight of them. Dark Ace watches them vanish, and he yells into the sky in rage.

Cyclonis looks back when she hears a scream, and smiles. Someone starts calling on the intercom, and Aerrow asks, "Cyclonis, can you hear me?Was your mission a success?"

"Yes, it was, Aerrow." Starling says. "In more than one way."

"What do you…never mind. Listen, we need you here on Terra Blizzaris. The army is stronger than we thought, and Rike seems to be losing his edge for some reason."

The master looks worriedly at Starling, who gasps. "We're on our way, Aerrow."

"Please hurry. We can't last much longer here!" The line cuts off.

Cyclonis looks over to the interceptor again, who looks anxious, and they speed faster to Terra Blizzaris.


	8. Snow Escape

**Chapter 8: Snow Escape**

In a snow covered terra, Absolute Zeros run around, screaming, as Shaders destroy everything in their path. Storm Hawks are all around the village, trying to dispose the shadows, but with very little success. Finn shoots another one down and backs up into Billy Rex, a daredevil Absolute Zero, and says, "Well, ain't these hosers full of surprises."

"You're telling me. It's like five more of these Shaders appear when I take down one."

"Is that what they're called?" He ducks a swipe from one Shader and punches him back, then striking through the chest with his blade. "Hey, d'you knows where the others are?"

After Finn shoots another ten down, he answers, "No clue."

In another part of the village, Aerrow slashes down Shader after Shader and catches up to a fellow sky knight, Suzy Lu. She freezes a shadow and breaks the sculpture apart, sending ripples of darkness in the air. "Man, these thing're powerful. Do they have any weakness?"

"Piper's trying to find one even as we speak."

"So, where is she?"

"In the Condor, hopefully hidden from the Shaders."

The Condor floats in some low clouds, and Piper keeps an eye on the battle through a scope. "Man, this isn't looking good."

"Battles never look good." Stork mumbles. "Did you find a weakness yet?"

"No, nothing. And everyone is quickly being surrounded." She watches as a Shader sneaks behind Aerrow and strike, making him crumple into the snow. "Aerrow!"

The Storm Hawk leader groans and looks up, where a Shader gets ready to impale him. He gasps as the blade falls toward his heart, but a staff blocks the attack. "Oh no, I suggest not doing that to a friend of mine." Suzy Lu says. She freezes the shadow and kicks him at some others, knocking the Shader-pins down. She helps the sky knight to his feet, and he says, "Thanks, Suzy Lu."

"No problem, Aerrow. Hey, d'you hear engines?"

They look up and see dots coming toward them. Aerrow smiles and says, "Looks like some backup are coming."

"Backup? I only see two dots."

In the skies, Cyclonis looks across the battle and talks to Starling, "Looks like a war from up here."

"I just hope my brother's okay." she says.

As they get closer, the girls spot Aerrow and Suzy Lu in the middle of the village, the Shaders closing in. Cyclonis scowls and speeds her skimmer to the battle with Starling on her tail. The master stops in the circle and jumps off, slashing down shadows.

Some Shaders attack Blizzaris's sky knight, knocking her staff away. "Hey, I need that!"

"Soon, you won't." hisses a Shader. He was about to strike when someone behind him asks, "Hey, can I join the fun?"

The shadow turns and sees a smirking Cyclonis. "Uh oh."

"You got that right." The master knocks him into an ice building, making it crumble on top of the Shader. She twirls her staff at the rest of the enemies until there's no shadows left and leaving Suzy Lu gaping. She says, "Whoa. Nice job."

"Thanks." Cyclonis says, smiling.

The Absolute Zero widens her eyes when she recognizes the master, and turns to Aerrow. "Did I take crazy pills?"

"Nope. Cyclonis is really helping us." says the leader with a grin, Radarr chattering happily.

"Okay. This day just keeps getting weirder by the minute. You absolutely sure?"

The redhead ignores her and turns to Starling, who finished off another Shader. "So, find anything useful in Cyclonia?"

"Yeah, just not what we expected." she says. "Do you know where my brother is?"

"No."

Her face falls even more. Cyclonis asks, "Aerrow, do you have a plan?"

"Besides destroy as many Shaders as possible? No. Do you?"

"As a matter of fact, I do."

"Great!" Aerrow grins. "What is it?"

"I need all of you to get every Shader to here. I'll take care of the rest."

Radarr drops his jaw and the leader says, "Uh, okay. I hope you know what you're doing."

"Don't worry. I have everything planned out perfectly." She reassures, winking at Starling. The interceptor grins, already picturing the attack.

Aerrow looks back and forth between the two, confused, but then clicks his communicator and calls, "Guys, you hear me?"

"We hear you, buddy." Junko's voice sounds.

"Yeah, me too." calls Finn.

Rike asks, "Is there a problem, Aerrow?"

"Listen, I need all of you to lead the Shaders to the center of the city, all of them."

Finn cries, "Are you crazy? We won't stand a chance with all of them in-"

"Finn, just do it. Cyclonis here says she has a plan."

Groaning, he mumbles, "Okay."

Aerrow shuts off the machine and the four wait for the other friends. Suzy Lu turns to Cyclonis and asks, "So why are you fighting with us, Cyclonis?"

"It's a long story." she tells the Absolute Zero.

"Here they come." says Aerrow.

Rike, Junko, Finn, and the other Absolute Zero squadron run back to the middle, armies of Shaders chasing their tail. Rike stops by his sister and jokes, "Having fun?"

"With my life in danger? Total fun." Starling says sarcastically.

As the shadows surround everyone, Finn strolls to Cyclonis and asks, "So what's the plan?"

She smirks, and answers, "You'll see."

A Shader hisses, "Well, looks like everyone is here. That makes our mission easier." They all prepare their weapons toward the squadrons, and Aerrow whispers to the master, "Whatever you're going to do, do it now."

"Hold on." she pronounces.

The shadows move in closer, but Cyclonis announces, "If you all want to live, then I suggest you leave this terra and never return."

The whole army stops at her throat then laugh uncontrollably, and one says, "You're in a bad position to be threatening us like that. But we should thank you for the laugh."

"Suit yourself." The master divides her staff and builds up her power. Aerrow notices a purple aura around the teen, then recognizes the power.

Cyclonis jumps and twirls in the air and swings her blades, sending the Thunder Talon everywhere again. The soothing feeling broadens inside the friends, eliminating all aches, and the Shaders scream as they feel their particles rip apart.

When everyone opens their eyes, they see an empty village without shadows anywhere. Aerrow turns to Cyclonis, his face stunned. "What was that?"

"Starling calls it the Thunder Talon."

"Are you serious?" screeches Piper. "Nobody had that move for…for seventy years! How do you know that move?"

"It just…came to me."

"Well," the redhead chuckles after passing the shock. "It's nice to know someone else have a move. Especially something that powerful."

Rike gasps as his chest stings a little, and Starling asks, "Rike, are you alright?"

"Yeah, I'm fine." he says, trying to hide the pain. He soon watches another vision unfold. A large fleet soars toward Terra Blizzaris. The fleet is nothing but black, showing little detail from the sun. Shaders fly out of the large airships and zoom ahead. "Anyone have a telescope?"

"Why?" Starling asks while Billy Rex tosses him a scope. The psychic looks up to the sky and, sure enough, he finds a black mass coming. "Aerrow, I think you'll need to see this."

He hands the leader the telescope and Aerrow turns to the spot Rike stared at. He examines the situation, then his arms slowly fall to his sides. The leader grabs the communicator and calls, "Stork, time for plan B."

"Huhh. I was afraid that would come up." The pilot pulls a lever to make the Condor float out of the cloud and land at the edge of the city. Stork grabs a speaker and yells, "All aboard the Condor Express. If you want to live."

Everyone on the terra run toward the large ship. Aerrow and Piper travel the village for any stragglers that need essentials, apparently, and Rike and Starling keep an eye on the Zeros heading into the ship, making sure everyone gets in and no one is left behind. Cyclonis and Radarr hop on the skimmers the girls came on, and the master looks back up to see the armada is closer. She guesses they have about ten minutes until they spot them.

The evacuation took longer than Rike and Cyclonis wanted, but soon all the Absolute Zeros are in the Condor, the skimmers are parked in the hangar bay, and the Storm Hawks wait at the bridge with Suzy Lu and Billy Rex, who's looking at Cyclonis with extreme caution. She looks back, scared, and takes a step away, heading into the kitchen.

"Okay Stork, take us up." Aerrow orders.

"Um, about that. If we fly now, the enemy will spot us for sure. And that will surely lead to despair and doom for all of us." he says, eye twitching.

"You don't have to worry about that."

The two turn and see a smiling Piper walking into the bridge. "I just added a disillusion crystal to the engine, so we should pretty much be invisible long enough to evade the Shader army."

"Good job Piper." congrats the leader. She blushes a little and walks toward Cyclonis. Her face turns to curiosity and asks, "Cyclonis, can I talk to you privately?"

"Uh, sure." The master says, scared even more.

The specialist grabs her hand and leads her out to the hallway, and passes many doors. Soon, Piper pulls the master into her room and shuts the door. Confused and a little scared, Cyclonis asks, "So what do you want Piper?"

The teen picks up the monster book and says, "Well, I've been looking in the black book, trying to find the Shaders weakness when I found something very interesting. This book doesn't just hold the greatest enemies. It also told of the greatest heroes."

"Okay, so I guess Lightning Strike is in there."

"Well yeah, but also a woman called Vinesta. Does this picture look familiar?" The specialist turns the book around and pushes it to Cyclonis. She looks at the picture and sees the familiar face. "My mother."

"That's what I guessed. You two have the same determined face. The passage says that the Shaders tried to make a comeback, but she and Strike, though enemies, fought together against them. If it wasn't for them, this world would already be in total darkness."

"Wow."

"I know. It really shocked me. Not the history, but at how their situation and you and Aerrow's are practically the same. Heh. Talk about repeating history."

"But the Shaders' were fighting already have taken over two terras."

"Don't remind me. But now I'm more curious about your life."

"Why is that?" The master asks.

"One, I can see you and Aerrow sharing some similar traits and two, Lightning and Vinesta seems to share some kind of connection."

"As in?"

"I don't know. But to me, your life seems more mysterious than Aerrow's. But that's just me. Wanting to find the answers to everything."

After a soft chuckle, Cyclonis says, "I feel special. So anyway, did you find anymore on the Shaders?"

Piper's mood quickly changes. "Besides your mother and Lightning fighting together, this book just gives me the same thing I've already heard."

"Just keep searching. I'm sure someone like you will find it. And if you don't, then we'll just have to look at Terra Histove."

Piper smiles at her compliment. "You know, the last time we were this close was when you pretended to be Lark."

The two friends chuckle for a while when the specialist suggests, "Should we head to the bridge?"

"Sure. Why not?"

* * *

Sometime later, the Condor lands in Terra Bogaton. The sky knights of Terra Blizzaris look around the place with dismay and Suzy Lu says, "Well this is just a dump."

"Yer tellin' me. Not one snowflake fer miles on this rock." Billy Rex adds.

Piper walks up and says, "Don't worry. We'll make a part of this place a frozen paradise for you."

"But what about the Raptors?" asks the interceptor, but Cyclonis answers, "You won't have to worry about that either. I'll take care of that."

Suzy Lu turns to Aerrow and asks, "You absolutely sure she's on our side?"

"As sure as ever."

"Alright."

Stork opens the walkway and Aerrow, Piper, Cyclonis, and Suzy Lu all walk out to meet the Raptors, who've just rolled in. Repton, the leader, walks to the small group and snarls, "What do you want, ssky knight? Unlesss you're here for ssome ssoup."

"Nothing much. We're just wondering if we can use a part of your land for the Absolute Zeros until we get their land back."

"Are you crazy!? You think we'll jusst give you our land!?"

"It's only temporarily Repton, until we free Terra Blizzaris from the Shaders."

"Now you're jusst making sstuff up! The Sshaders are nothing but sstories."

"Uh, when was the last time you went out?"

Leugey, an obese Raptor, says, "You know bosss, having ssome ssnow around might be fun."

"Quiet!" He turns back to the redhead and orders, "Give me one good reasson why I sshould, ssky knight."

Cyclonis walks up and says, "Because I say so, Repton."

"Ccyclonis?! W-what are you doing with thesse Sstorm Hawkss?"

"Long story. But you're still under my command and I say to give them half the land."

"But-but-"

"It's only for a short time. And they won't be anywhere near your town."

The leader of the Raptors snarls before saying, "You've been sspending too much time with the Sstorm Hawkss, Ccyclonis."

"Repton, do what I say, or else."

He scowls again but backs away from her eyes. "Temporarily." He hisses and walks away, ordering the others to follow him.

"Nice Job Cyclonis." congrats Piper. She takes out a Blizzard crystal and raises it up high, unleashing the blurry of snow and ice. Soon, about half the terra is made into a winter wonderland and all the Absolute Zeros walk out to their new home. The specialist says, "This will be your new home until we take care of the Shaders."

"Thanks Storm Hawks." The sky night leader says. "If there's something we can do, we'll gladly accept."

"That's great; because I have a feeling there'll be a war soon against the Shaders."

Starling asks, "What makes you say that?"

"You don't need to be a physic to figure out that another battle is coming. Am I right, Rike?"

He smiles and says, "You sure do your homework."

Suzy says, "Huh. Okay. Guess I'll see ya later."

Piper hands Suzy Lu the Blizzard crystal and they walk into their new homeland.

* * *

The shadow swirls inside the darkness above Cyclonia. In the middle of the darkness where the eye forms, large eyes glowing red appears and looks down where the Shader Commander floats with his wings. "The girl still hasn't come." It was a statement, not a question.

"No, but don't worry. By the end of the week, she, as well as that Aerrow, will be walking into our domain."

"You better be right."

"Have I ever been wrong before?"

The two hear a low roar and look down to see the Dark Ace flying up to them.

"Dark Ace, was the mission a success?"

"Yes." The traitor states. "Terra Blizzaris, Terra Gale, and Terra Amazonia have all been taken. By the end of the week, all but Atmosia will belong to the darkness."

"Good. Then everything is proceeding as planned. Get the rest ready."

"Yes sir." He flies back to the fortress, the Commander watching.

"Commander, do you know what the end of the week is?"

"A day full of due dates?"

"No." the clouds growl. "It is the Winter Solstice, a time when darkness is at its greatest. The perfect time to attack Atmosia."

"Ah, yes. But what about the human?"

"Do not worry. I have a plan for him. And he won't be the wiser." Thunder rumbles around, almost like laughing.


End file.
